Tan's My Favorite Color
by Alexa-lovesick-vampire
Summary: A girl destined to run from a coven of vampires all her life stumbles into Forks, Washington. Little did she know she would be greeted upon arrival by an immediate, uncomprehensible love...in the form of young Seth Clearwater. SethxOC
1. I Am A Runner

I made it… I made it through the week… I couldn't believe I made it through the week! My hands shook, pale and sore just like my back…and my neck…and my head…and the rest of my body. I was covered in bruises and soreness. I think I even had a broken hand. They…they liked to beat me up.

There was darkness. The atmosphere was gloomy and terrifying. I was alone, too… Well I never knew if I was _really_ alone. Because of _them_. I was leaning against the trunk of a very roughly textured tree in a forest…in the middle of who knows where. There was absolute silence. I was so frightened… I shouldn't have been resting right now; I should have been running. That's what I was made to do, right? Then why wasn't I? Because my legs were sore…and I was sore…but whenever I closed my eyes I saw _their_ faces. All of them… and I cried. I cried when I saw their faces.

"Please, God, save me," I sobbed, choking on my words. I said this to myself, quietly.

My heart was still beating frantically. I was out of breath and I could not possibly go on. Yet if I tried resting for any longer then they would find me and kill me. There was a slight bit of pride inside of me because…HA! Because I tricked them!

Every time, they sent me a note somehow to instruct me where to go. They said they would be waiting for me there. They would give me money for a flight and they would tell me where to start. I would go to that state and they would hunt me. I knew they went easy on me, but their "easy" almost nearly killed me. I was their game. They tortured me.

A rustle in the bushes alerted my attention and I silently gasped. They were here. They were here because they found me. To think what they would do to me when I disobeyed their orders! They'd surely kill me! I'd be "ruining their fun" so I wouldn't be worthy of living anymore! I was terrified. I would rather die than live on as their game; their toy. I tried to imagine myself about to jump out of an airplane without a parachute into a volcano. That calmed me down just a bit; because that would be a better alternative than living on like this.

"No… No! Please, no!" I mouthed, trembling uncontrollably.

I closed my eyes and turned my head away, waiting for the pain.

The rustling grew louder and suddenly a rustling of something different attracted my attention.

What completely took me off guard was the whimper.

A _whimper…_ It was an animal's whimper. Like…a dog's whimper.

"P-please don't-!" I gasped without looking.

The little whimper became a whine, a long little keen that sounded like the animal was in pain. No! They didn't know the freakin' definition of pain until they lived a week in my life! Ha! And I had more than a week! I've had three freaking years! Since I was twelve I've been suffering because of _their_ little "game."

I dared to look now. I dared to look up and I did and I gasped. I had to cover my mouth with my hand to prevent any screaming. In front of me was a giant…wolf. I had seen a couple wolves in my life and this was far bigger than any wolf I had ever seen in my life! He had a sandy coat and his gangly figure indicated to me that he was a young wolf; young but still unnaturally huge in size. I avoided looking into his eyes. If this was some allusion from Karina (she was one of those who hunted me for fun), then the wolf would have blood red eyes glistening in even the midnight as bright as though they would in the sun.

The wolf suddenly disappeared. There was a rustling in the bushes and I was afraid of what was coming next. I was in tears now, sobbing silently. What else could I do but sob? I was going to die. I was finally going to die. Or maybe suffer worse… maybe they would turn me into one of _them_. Oh, how I'd HATE that! I sobbed even more now.

The rustling stopped. I grasped the long grass underneath my fingers and cried silently.

I turned to look at the wolf again, or my Hunters if it was them, and instead I saw a human. A human that wasn't pale… A human that wasn't silent… a human who was half dressed in just a pair of ripped jeans. I bit my lower lip. Handsome, yes, as all of my Hunters were… but his skin was not pale and did not show in the moonlight.

He approached me and I finally cried out a little sob.

"N-n-n-no! P-please don't-!" I whimpered, trying to back around the tree.

"Shh…don't move," the voice whispered. He sounded like a _boy_. Like… _my age._ Yet his body was one of a young man; a grown man… He looked to be almost in his twenties or maybe a bit younger… Strange that his voice sounded like a boy my age.

I was still terrified. His voice was beautiful. And that was another sign that he was one of my hunters; I was so accustomed to recognizing a beautiful voice and a beautiful body as meaning they were of the species of my Hunters. This boy was beautiful when I looked at him (still avoiding his eyes, might I add).

He inched closer to me and this time, to my repulsion toward myself, I hesitated before inching away again. His hand extended toward me and he was bending down toward me. Of course… play the innocent act before you kill me! I sobbed again and shook my head.

"No! No, stay away! Please, I-I didn't mean to-! I was so fr-frightened-! Please don't-!" I cried, begging now. I was begging…begging as much as I could.

"I'm not going to hurt you," the boy said.

"Liar! You all do! You all hurt me! Always!" I cried and slammed my head back against the rock-hard tree trunk. I whimpered now as the pain in my head increased significantly.

"Wh-? No…shh… it's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you. I promise," he said. I cried. I couldn't move any further without standing up; there was a huge root sticking out of the ground to my side. I whimpered. He reached his hand out. If he inched any closer, he could touch me. No! No more cold skin… No more cold skin…

He did.

His hand found my shoulder and I screamed as loud as I could. No! No, no! No. No…N-? What? My eyes shot back open and I gasped. His hand was scorching; scorching like, not like dry ice cold, but like a fever hot. My heart suddenly calmed down a bit. I still did not look at his face.

"Wh-Who are you? No, wait! _What_ are you?" I stuttered. I whimpered when his hand drifted down my arm to my hand, which was smaller in his hand. "A-Are you with them?"

I sniffed, rubbing away my tears with my sweater sleeve.

"A…guy. I'm here to help though. 'Them'? What do you mean, 'them'?" His voice was so soft and sweet…and gentle. He was _so_ one of them… and yet the temperature of his skin told me otherwise. Plus he didn't know what I was talking about.

"Never mind…ah!" I gasped and winced as his hand that held mine squeezed it a bit. This was the hand that I was sure was broken.

"Sorry… it hurts?"

I bit my lower lip and nodded.

"…Can you stand?" he continued.

I shook my head immediately.

"No. No I can't! It hurts," I whimpered, tears streaming down my cheeks again.

"I'm sorry… here…ready and brace yourself," he murmured as his hand travelled to my forearm and his other hand found my waist. I gasped at this, and screamed when he pulled me up on to my feet. But he did more than that. My feet touched the ground for less than a second, and I was suddenly in his arms, carried bridal style.

"N-no! What-? Let me down!" I cried. He huffed slowly.

"…You said you can't walk…" he murmured. I slammed my good fist against his chest and cringed. It was like hitting hardness overlaid by softness.

"I know but-! Stop, please! You're scaring me to death!" I cried, but his warmth consequentially sent me burying my face in his chest. I gasped at what I had done once realization hit me and pulled away.

"Um… you need help. Like, a lot. Your hand looked broken and geez you've got a lotta bruises," he murmured. I blushed; even blushing hurt.

"It's 'cause of _them_," I sniffed.

"Who?"

It took me a moment to notice that he was carrying me somewhere. Away from the tree I had been lying against.

"W-Where're you taking me?" I whimpered. It hurt to struggle so I didn't try much.

"Shh… we're gonna get some help, 'kay?" he whispered to me.

I sobbed and struggled, and then winced and cried out when it hurt so much. He stopped walking for a moment.

"What's wrong?" he said. I could hear some frustration in his voice.

I bit my tongue and shook my head. A little sob escaped from me and I whined a "uhn-uh!" (A.k.a, "no!")

"C'mon just tell me! Just-! Hey. Look at me. _Look at me_. Look into my eyes. Don't be afraid. Hey, can you hear me? Listen to me; look at me," he said softly but firmly. His voice was so…gentle. So calming…I hadn't heard a tone like that since my mom was killed by my hunters.

She had tried a trick like I had; she ran away and took me with her. When she was dying; they had drained almost all of her blood from her body and left her with broken legs to die.

"_Hey, hey, look at me sweetie,"_ my mom had said. She lifted my chin with her finger so that I'd look at her. She was propped up against the side of her bed and I was crying beside her. _"We're gonna be okay, alright, honey? Look at me, sweetie."_ I looked up at her into her eyes.

And then she died.

This boy's tone reminded me of my mom's.

There was no way I could resist the tone. I did as he said and I finally looked up into his eyes. His expression was a little serious at first; but after a second it changed completely. In the moonlight I saw his eyes widen and a twinkle of surprise in them. His eyes were dark brown, a very pretty dark brown. Yet it was the look in his eyes that perplexed me so. He had this look of amazement; of astonishment; and of something deeper…

"What?" I mumbled.

His head jerked back a bit and his mouth snapped shut. He cleared his throat.

"Wow…"

"What?" I demanded.

"…Hi," he breathed.

I raised an eyebrow and smirked, a little amused.

"Um…hi," I mumbled. "Now tell me where we're going," I insisted.

He suddenly chuckled and I was so dazzled by his sparkling, pure white, perfect teeth.

"I'm taking you to some of my friends and family. There's a doctor in the family," he explained.

I was unconvinced.

"Mmm…no. Set me down, now!" I demanded.

"Why?" He was suddenly frowning. I felt his arms tighten around me and I gasped.

"'Cause! You don't want to be around me! I'm dangerous," I snapped.

He scoffed.

"Like I'd care if you were dangerous. But I've gotta ask: how is a petite, injured, little girl like you…'dangerous'?"

I blushed.

"It's not me. It's the people who hunt me," I said gravely. His arms turned as hard as stone around me and he froze again in his tracks.

"'Hunt'?" he repeated, his arms trembling all of a sudden. I heard him taking deep, slow breaths for a while and I waited for him to stop until I spoke. "Sorry. Explain," he mumbled.

I opened my mouth to speak, but he interrupted me:

"Wait! No, tell me later with the others," he told me. "Close you eyes and tuck your head against my chest," he instructed.

I scoffed and frowned.

"Why would I do that?" I snapped.

He groaned.

"Please just do it!"

His arms tightened around me and I didn't protest. I grumbled a bit, but I tucked myself against his chest and closed my eyes.

Wind rushed around me and I clenched my teeth. It felt good; with the breeze and his scorching, feverish, skin.

When the wind stopped, I gasped. My eyes shot open and the boy chuckled. I looked up at him and noticed that he was looking down at me.

"Did you just run?" I gasped. He grinned and nodded.

"I'm Seth Clearwater," he introduced. I blushed. Wow…he was cute, fast, _and_ his name was sexy.

I gasped at my own thoughts and shook them away from my head. Just because he was all of that, didn't mean I could trust him. I couldn't trust _anyone…_

"What's wrong?"

His eyes were still full of that deep, mysterious, but beautiful look that was unrecognizable to me.

"Nothin'," I mumbled.

He chuckled.

He stood in silence for a moment, me still wrapped in his strong arms.

"So…what's your name?"

He was suddenly so friendly…so charming.

I blushed again.

"Um…" I hesitated.

Seth laughed softly.

"S'okay. I'm not pressuring you into telling me—"

"Eliza Young."


	2. The Cute Guys Always Work For Vampires

I looked around, feeling quite awkward by that stare that he gave me. It was like he was a blind man staring at the sun for the first time.

We were in front of a house, white and old-fashioned looking. I frowned.

"N-! Y-you haveta let me down-!

"No… This is the place. Just relax, and brace yourself 'cause it can get kinda cold in there," he sighed. I did nothing, as though trying to ignore it when his arms wrapped even tighter around me. He was so _warm_… I hadn't felt real warmth like this for years…

The door clicked shut behind Seth. It was strange how fast he was… And it was cold like he said it was. A series of gasps erupted in the room when Seth brought me in. I looked around frantically, nervously, at my spectators. The lights were on; the room was elegant. Very beautiful.

Seth set me down on the couch and I winced at the pain. I was regaining feeling in my feet, however, so there was that at least. Seth sat beside me, his bare arm rubbing against mine. I couldn't help but tingle wherever his skin touched mine. I scooted away a bit.

"No-!" Seth's arm wrapped around my waist as I began to stand up and pulled me back down on the couch.

"Chill," he murmured in my ear. I whimpered.

"Is this her?" a voice said. The voice was beautiful… so…so beautiful. I looked around at the people in the room and gasped.

Beautiful…beautiful voices…tall and skinny…perfect skin…No! No, he was a liar! He lied to me!

I screamed and leapt off the couch, making a sprint for the door. The one time I stumbled, however, Seth was suddenly in front of me with his incredible speed and held his arms out to catch me. I cried, struggling to move around his strong, tan, warm body but with no success.

"You lied! You lied to me! You said you weren't working with them! But they're here! Tons of them!" I sobbed, slamming my head and my good hand against his bare chest, the annoying sound of skin slapping against skin ringing in my ears whenever I hit him. He just grunted whenever I did, but never made a motion to stop me. I did find, however, that by my second punch, his arms were around me and I was sobbing into his chest. I still struggled and squirmed, however.

No…no! I had to get away! They were here…! They were here and they'd…! They'd kill me! They'd found me and they'd kill me! And Seth was in on it with them!

"You-You lied! Y-You said you weren't w-with th-them!" I screamed against his hot skin.

He was silent. I think he was ignoring me because he began talking to them.

"Her name's Eliza Young," he told someone, his arms tightening around me when I almost managed to slip out of his arms. I whimpered little pleas for him to let go.

"Eliza Young… What is she talking about?" a voice as handsome as the sun asked.

Seth shrugged and grunted.

"I dunno…you ask her. She won't tell me. She just keeps saying 'them'. Carlisle…something's hunting her," he muttered, his voice lower in his last sentence. So this beautiful voiced man was named Carlisle. Well there were more of them, so let's call him man number one. Man number one was named Carlisle.

There was hesitation in the atmosphere.

"… Eliza? Can you tell me who's hunting you? Can you tell me and the others what's hunting you?" Seth asked. His voice was so soothing I bit my tongue to keep myself from blurting everything out. But they knew. _All_ of them knew!

"Uhn-uh! They already know! It's them! They're hunting me!" I shrieked. My cried disturbed Seth, clearly. His arms pulled me closer, protectively. I was a little dazed from the lack of oxygen and blood circulating throughout my body considering how tight he was holding me, and by Seth's intoxicating scent. It was a musky scent. Something I was very used to because I lived in the forests for so long; something I learned to love.

"What d'you mean? They don't hunt humans…_ohh_…you mean their _kind_," Seth exclaimed as though he suddenly realized how to solve global warming. I gasped, lifting my head from his chest. I turned my head to look at them.

There was eight of them…plus a little one. So…yeah, well technically nine.

"T-They-? Th-They aren't the same?" I whimpered. Then I looked around. None of the faces were familiar. "No…they aren't…What? What do you mean they don't hunt humans?"

Seth looked down at me with that same look on his face. The look that I, I don't know, felt comforted by.

He chuckled and shook his head.

"Nope. They're all clean. It's really cool, honestly. Carlisle's a doctor. He works around humans all the time. But he's too cool to eat any of them," he explained, and we both shivered when he said "eat." Carlisle chuckled.

"Basically, yes. We're what you may consider, in a crude term, vegans. Well…_our_ version of vegetarians. We don't feed on human blood, that's all though," Carlisle explained. I flinched as he spoke. No… No, this wasn't right.

Seth's arms had released me. My feet were aching but it didn't matter, did it? I eyed the door. I was a fast runner. I always got six minute miles when I was twelve, before my mom died and I was activated as the new Runner out of my family. I did track too, so I was trained to sprint instantly. I could make it. I could make it before they could notice, right? No… They had amazing reflexes. I knew vampires. I didn't need to know anything else about vampires. They were evil and vile and…and…. Oh…_oh_… the door was _so_ close…

"She's going to run for it," I heard a voice mutter and then I squirmed out of Seth's arms. He had slower reflexes than the vampires, which I didn't understand because he was just as fast. I could only take three strides before his arms were suddenly around my waist from behind. He grunted as I screamed and kicked and squirmed; crying, no, _begging_ for him to let me go.

"P-Puh-Please! I-I can't-! P-please l-let go!" I sobbed, and squirmed again."I-I'm not-! I'm not s-safe h-h-here! P-pl-please! Please let go! Th-they'll k-kill me!" I continued in a shrieking cry.

"Seth, if she wants to go, let her," Carlisle muttered.

"P-please!" I cried.

A low rumble began deep in Seth's chest.

"I can't, Carlisle!" he persisted in a whiny-tone.

I ignored this and continued begging. But before I knew it, Seth was lifting me off of the ground – still from behind and let it be known that the position was quite uncomfortable right now. He set me down on the couch and I whined and squirmed as he hovered over me, pinning my legs down by sitting on my thighs (Thank God he was being careful and not putting much weight on them) and securing down my upper body by pinning my upper arms down. It was embarrassing how vulnerable I was to him and the vampires now…

I screamed even louder.

"Seth, what're you doing?" one female vampire hissed.

"Check…out…her hand… It looks…broken!" he instructed Carlisle through his teeth as he struggled with keeping me down. The blonde, doctor-vampire approached me slowly. The minute he was within five feet I shrieked at the top of my lungs and Seth winced.

"STOP! Don't touch me! Ugh! Don't let him touch me! He'll kill me! He'll just rip my arm off! NO! STOP!" I screamed, begging in tears for Seth to get off.

But that idiot still held me down. Yeah, he was an idiot now all because I had trusted him and now I COULDN'T because he brought me to an entire coven of bloodthirsty creatures.

"Tell her to calm down, Seth. She'll wake up Renesmee," a voice as smooth as honey said evenly, with a hint of a growl nestled beneath the calm and collected tone that vile creature had. Seth whimpered.

"I'm sorry, I'm trying!" he whimpered over his shoulder and then looked back down at me, pleading with those beautiful dark-brown eyes of his. "Please, Eliza… they're safe…they aren't like other vampires. Carlisle can help you if you let him. Just calm down," he pleaded. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Why should I listen to you?! I've been hunted down by those freaking creatures for three years! Why should I be led to believe that these ones are any different? _They're_ what killed the rest of my family! That hunt me, and nearly kill me every time they find me! _They're_ the reason I'm afraid to go to sleep at night, Seth! Why the heck would _you_ be able to convince me that these vampires are any different?" I ranted.

Seth bit his lower lip and didn't answer.

One vampire, that looked really young – and I mean younger than the rest of them – walked up. Her eyes were a reddish-tint, not as distinct as the color of the eyes of my Hunters. Still, she frightened me in appearances the most.

"If we really wanted to hurt you, then we would've already. But you've got to believe that we won't. And even if we wanted to, Seth wouldn't let us," she laughed, her voice like beautiful chiming bells. I envied her and all her glorious perfection; and then I remembered by her eyes what she was.

"That still doesn't convince me. You…have-! Y-you h-have n-no i-i-idea h-how t-t-t-errified I am of your kind! H-How-! H-How c-convinced I am that y-you'll k-kill m-m-me the m-minute S-Seth lets me go," I sobbed. This girl vampire just laughed, her voice like a beautiful song as she laughed.

"I think at least one of us has an idea," she laughed, eyeing at one of the vampires I couldn't see over Seth's shoulder.

By now, Carlisle-the-doctor-vampire had reached me and was now kneeling beside the couch. My hand was secured in place, the one that throbbed achingly. As he touched it I screamed; but not from pain. But from how cold his hand was. I was so used to cold…when I felt coldness the temperature of his skin, it was a signal for me to brace myself for being fed upon…for at least…the one-hundredth time. The only scars that I ever had were on my shoulder blade or my neck. Well they weren't really scars because soon enough, they'd be opened once again when my Hunters caught up with me on another "round" of their "game" and fed on me. But those were the only two places that the vampire's bit me. They liked to "keep it clean."

"Eliza, _please_," Seth's voice was a strained whimper. I frowned at him. I had the urge to spit at him all of a sudden, to show my distaste. Yet…he was so _warm_. Like I said before, I hadn't felt real warmth like his in forever; and aside from the fact that he was holding me hostage in a house inhabited by nine vampires, I felt so good around him. Like he was my escape or something, from whatever it was. So aside from the fact that he was holding me against my will with people I had grown to hate and fear for all of my life, I liked Seth. Make sense? Yeah… probably not.

The female vampire was being _too_ nice. Then she said something that nearly gave me a heart attack;

Looking over to the other vampires standing in the shadows, she sighed.

"Jasper. Help us out here, can you? Make it a bit easier for Eliza," she asked.

I gasped and screamed and struggled even more.

"What?! What's he gonna do? Stop! Please stop! What's he gonna-! What's he-?...What's-?..." and I was

suddenly so calm, like I'd been sedated without a needle in my arm. My eyes were drooping, and I struggled to keep them open.

"Wow…she's a tough little thing, isn't she?" I heard a male voice grunt. But it wasn't like the first male, Carlisle-the-doctor-vampire, nor was it the smooth-like-honey-sounding-vampire.

"She's afraid, Jasper…please don't go too hard on her," I heard Seth plead. I was still struggling, but less now. I had no control over my body; my emotions. It was like something was affecting them. Then suddenly I felt Seth's musky scent blow in my face as he bent down and whispered in my ear, "It's cool, Eliza. Just relax," and he emphasized the word "relax."

No matter how scared I was, no matter how erratic my heart was beating (and let me tell you right now that I swear if it got any "thumpier," it'd burst from my chest), I soon found myself drifting in and out of consciousness. Before long, I was asleep.


	3. I'm A Sucker For Strange Love Stories

There was warmth. The warmth I hadn't felt in a long while. My eyes fluttered open and I shifted, only to find myself curled up against something warm and…uh. Furry. I groaned, rubbing my eyes. Then I gasped because I had been expecting pain to shoot through my broken hand. Instead I felt stiffness. I looked at it in awe and then terror. It was all set in a brace. No… No! That vile creature had let those vampires touch me (and by vile creature I meant Seth)!

I groaned and threw my face into the abundance of warm fur. Okay…that wasn't right. I was really out of it today. How come things weren't registering in my brain correctly? No! It was that vampire's fault, wasn't it? What was his name…Jasper? Pulling my face out of the fur, comprehension pulsed through me and woke me entirely within a second.

Plus, the slight sound of breathing and the gently rising and falling of the furry object I was lying against completely gave it away. I twisted around frantically, annoyed because I realized I was bundled up in a bunch of blankets. When I was finally sitting in the direction I wanted, my eyes widened and I gasped.

Although its eyes were closed, it still scared me. I had never been so up close to a wolf before, especially not one of this size. To make matters more confusing, we were just outside the vampire's house, and this was the same exact wolf I had seen before. I tried backing away, but only backed up into a curled up hind leg. The creature stirred, his tail moving against the ground and rustling against the grass.

His big brown eyes fluttered open and I looked up automatically.

When a cold wet nose nudged my shoulder, I squeaked and tried to crawl away. Then there was that little whimper and I didn't move. I knew this was Seth. I knew by his big brown eyes and little whimper. They hadn't killed me…

"What aren't I dead yet?" I whispered to it. The gangly tan wolf seemed to grin, and he carefully stood up and trotted off into a dense area of foliage. "Wait," I whimpered. I was alone now. In the cold but wrapped up in blankets. In front of a house of vampires… Ugh!

The rustling in the bushes grew louder until out popped the tan, muscular, annoying teenager who had kidnapped me, wearing a grin from ear-to-ear. He pranced over to me and sat down. I scooted away instinctively.

"Why don't you trust me?" he complained, whining. I rolled my eyes.

"'Cause. 'Cause you basically kidnapped me and let them touch me. 'Cause you brought me to a house of vampires and didn't let me leave, even when that doctor-vampire said I could go if I wanted. Which I don't understand because I bet the minute I stepped out of that house they would come out and kill me anyways," I muttered.

Seth groaned, falling on his back. He was bare-chested again, and I could see his ribs as he threw his hands back behind his head.

"They wouldn't kill you! Geez! You have some serious trust issues!" he groaned. I glared at him.

"You're not making it any better. But really, why'd they keep me alive?" I asked curiously. Seth sighed, sitting up again and leaning toward me as I leaned away. His eyes never left mine.

"'Cause if they tried to kill you, I'd probably throw myself in the way before they could get their hands on you," he said considerately and passionately. I blushed, complimented but still confused. "And I _told_ you already! They don't bite humans! They're not bad guys! Didn't you see their eyes? Gold! Like, not red or black or anything! They've lived off of animal blood for like, _ever_!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air for exaggeration.

I frowned.

"That can't be true," I said doubtfully.

He looked at me like I was crazy.

"_You're_ alive. _I'm_ alive. I'm just as human as you," he said.

I scoffed.

"Weren't you just a giant furry wolf, oh, twenty seconds ago?" I countered. Seth blushed and scratched his head.

"Mmm…that's different. I'll have to tell you about that later," he murmured.

I folded my arms, pulling the blankets more around me.

"What tells you I'm going to stick around until 'later'?" I asked him cynically.

Seth's handsome face suddenly fell, and his shoulders slumped.

"…Why wouldn't you?" he asked in a tiny voice.

"I don't stay around places for more than a certain amount of time. I have to keep moving, or else they'll come and kill me…" I explained, trailing off at the end. Seth scooted closer until his arm was brushing up against mine, and I flinched but didn't pull away. His warmth was better than any of the blankets around me. Plus, I assumed they were the vampires'. That automatically made them disgusting.

"You've gotta stay though! My friends won't hurt you! I promise! And the vampires that are hunting you – they won't hurt you either! I won't let them," he argued fiercely. I blushed again and looked away from him to hide my flattered expression.

"Thanks…but-!"

"No 'buts'! You're staying," he ordered me. I scoffed, shoving him away.

"Are you taking me hostage? Like, seriously?"

He stood up when I did, a look of conviction in his eyes.

"If that's what it takes to get you to stay," he answered and I could see the truth in his expression. I glared.

"You can't hold me hostage. I'll call the police. You'll go to jail," I threatened.

"I'm fifteen," he snorted.

"Fine! Then juvie," I snapped, glaring still. His eyes widened.

"You wouldn't," he breathed.

I thought about it for a moment…

Okay, honestly, I only thought about it for probably four seconds.

"No…I wouldn't… That's not the point though! You can't hold me against my will!" I protested.

I took an intimidating step forward so that we were only inches away. I could smell his intoxicating scent again, and tried to ignore the feeling I got whenever I inhaled his perfect aroma. His serious, frightened look disappeared and suddenly he looked like a little teenage boy again; with a grin wide and happy.

"But you won't call the police?" he beamed. He seemed to dwell over the topic of my staying for a while.

I just listened and argued when I had to.

Finally I grew tired of this conversation.

"Why d'you want me to stay so much anyways?" I snapped at him. He blushed and looked away, tousling his hair with his hand.

"Uh…long story," he mumbled.

I sat down.

"Well, you're taking me hostage, so I've got time," I sneered.

He smirked and sat down. I watched as he held out his arms and knew he wanted me to sit by him. I shook my head with a firm "no." Seth's smile disappeared again. He had a pleading look on his face and I groaned as I stood up and sat down right next to him, our knees and shoulders touching. He placed an arm around my shoulders and I flinched at first until he basically forced me to lean against him.

"You have no idea what personal space is, do you, Seth?" I groaned. He laughed.

"Nope."

"I didn't think so."

He laughed again and the hand that dangled beside my upper arm was now gently stroking my shoulder. I shivered as a reaction. Why was I letting him touch me like this?

"…If this is uncomfortable, tell me okay?" he must have sensed my discomfort.

I nodded and he pulled away his arm muttering an apology.

"S'fine."

We sat in silence for a while. I was contemplating whether or not running again. My feet were no longer sore. I could run on them again; but probably not far. They had just been so sore because I hadn't been off my feet for nearly three days.

Suddenly –

"So…can I tell you about me now? Since, y'know, I'm keeping you hostage and all," he laughed, nudging my side with his elbow. I couldn't help but smirk. He was so kiddish. I hadn't acted like a kid since I was twelve. Now maybe Seth could change that.

I shrugged my shoulders. "M'kay. Since I don't have much choice, right?" I giggled. We both laughed and then he began.

Wow…vampires _and_ werewolves. He told me about his kind. How he was part of a pack of werewolves that were allied with the vampires to keep Forks, Washington safe. He told me his Alpha was named Jake, and that the rest of his pack was also Quileute tribe up in a reservation called La Push. Just a couple miles away from here. Seth told me about all of the old legends, about why the werewolves were supposed to destroy the vampires, but not these Cullens because of Jake's relationship with Bella and Edward and Renesmee. He said that all of the Cullens and Hales were great people. Please! People? Vampires weren't _people_! But to Seth they were.

He told me that I would get used to them, and that I also had to meet Jacob; and Leah, Quil and Embry, the rest of Jacob's pack.

"So…is…wait. So why do you want me to stay so badly?" I finally asked as Seth was catching his breath. He smiled at me and blushed. It was very clear now. By the time he had stopped explaining everything, the sun was up and warming us now.

"It's this thing called…imprinting," he began, and then told me all about imprinting.

I blushed. So he…_imprinted _on me? Which means there is a bond between us stronger than even love? That it was a pretty magical thing? He explained to me _everything_. My brain was about to burst.

I had been staring at the ground until Seth was finished explaining. Now I stared back up at him, and he had that look in his eyes again. I blushed. Especially when Seth began leaning toward me, his eyes never leaving mine. Closer…and closer… but when our lips touched I pulled away instantly.

"Whoa. Seth, remember when you told me to tell you if I ever got uncomfortable? Yeah. Well, that's kinda happening now," I breathed, catching my breath and clearing my throat. He blushed and looked away.

"Sorry. Too fast?"

I nodded.

"Just a bit," I gulped. The atmosphere became grave; for me at least. "Seth…I'm not even in the position to trust even you yet. I do, like a lot, but I shouldn't. I've…I'm just not comfortable about it. I just met you yesterday. A-And suddenly all of this is just dumped on me a-and then you _kiss_ me…and I just…I don't think it's right," I mumbled. I looked over at him and he was blushing and frowning at the same time.

"…S'okay I guess. Sorry I dumped that all on you. I shouldn't have," he apologized.

I blushed now.

"I don't care _that_ much…it's just a lot to handle. I mean, I still don't believe that vampires can be the good guys," I said, just to peeve him off and lighten the mood. I had begun to grow a suspicion that Seth was telling the truth about the Cullens and the Hales.

"Aw, don't say that! You _know_ they're good people! You've gotta understand that all vampires aren't like them!" he whined. Yep, my plan worked.

"I don't know…" I said with uncertainty.

He shook my shoulders all of a sudden, surprising me, with a pleading expression.

"Come _on_, you've gotta believe me! Why would _I_ lie to you?!" he whined.

I frowned.

"Fine. I believe," I began, and his face lit up. "I believe that _you_ believe that they're good guys," I continued and watched with a bit of satisfaction as his face fell again. "Not that they really are."

There was silence for a bit. I heard some noise from inside the house and tried to ignore it. Seth noticed it too, probably more than I did because of his advanced hearing (he explained that to me).

"What if…" he hesitated and asked politely if I could look at him. I had this odd suspicion that he enjoyed looking into my eyes. It was a bit awkward but, hey, how could a man who'd imprinted resist? Not to sound vain, but you get what I mean. "What if you stay for a while? And I don't mean as a hostage. As like, a guest or something... I'll prove to you that these vampires are good guys."

I smirked.

"What's in it for me? Y'know, if you want to try and make a deal, you've gotta tell me the perks I get too," I flirted. Oh, I couldn't help flirting with him! After he dumped that imprinting stuff on me, I realized it wasn't like a voluntary thing and I felt sorry for him. Of course, flirting would probably torture him even more. I couldn't tell whether or not he was happy to have imprinted. I'd ask him about that later.

He blushed.

"…You'd stay with me," he began with a little grin. "And you'd have a home to live in, and protection from the vampires that are hunting you," he continued, knowing that I'd prefer this over his first "perk."

"…how much d'you know about that?" I asked him.

"All of it. Edward, he's Rensemee's father and Bella's mate-slash-husband, well he can read minds. It's like a gift of his. So he kind of probed your mind 'cause I asked him because I was curious about what you meant… But before you open your mouth, Eliza, it was my idea! I swear, it wasn't Edward's fault," he explained quickly. I glared at him.

"Great!" I growled, throwing my arms up into the air. "So ya'll are immortal _and_ you can read minds?! What, so I'm seriously the only one here that ages?" I snapped. It ticked me off. I probably wouldn't mind spending the rest of my life with Seth if he aged like I did. He suddenly started laughing and I blushed, feeling like I was missing some inside joke.

"Well I kinda age, y'know? And so does Renesmee. Technically…kinda. And anyways, Edward's the only one who can read minds," he mumbled.

"Still – no privacy?" I whimpered.

He shrugged his shoulders.

"It's that way in the pack too. You get used to it," he shrugged.

"So…back to the whole…staying with us? What d'you think?" he continued eagerly.

I could almost _imagine_ a long, tan, bushy tail behind him wagging.

I groaned and thought about it.

"It'd be dangerous…" I warned him in a low voice. "Really dangerous…they could attack at any moment. And there's a lot of them. About fifteen," I continued.

Seth's eyes widened.

"No. Impossible. If there were really that many, then the Volturi would come and destroy them," he frowned. I shook my head and moaned in agony. I had heard of the Volturi. They were _not_ all-knowing. They had their little gaps, and my Hunters used those to their advantage.

"No! They don't travel together in a coven like the Cullens! They're _separate_! They don't all hunt me at the same time! They're couples! They have covens of two or three, never more! They know how to evade the Volturi! They switch off hunting me!" I explained.

I saw his arm twitch and I was sure that he wanted to wrap it around me. But I wouldn't let him.

"…Well we have to tell Carlisle. Just in case. And I'll warn Jake too. But please, Eliza! What d'you say?" Geez that boy was persistent. I guess I could blame it on the imprinting thing.

I sighed.

"I-I mean… I guess… but for those last two reasons, not the first!" I said quickly. I lied. But he didn't have to know that.


	4. I Kissed A Werewolf, And I Liked It

_**Two months later**_

I woke up as usual, blankets curled around me, a warm furry pillow under my head. I rubbed my eyes. My hand had healed. Carlisle said it was minor anyways.

Now that was the strange thing. Seth was totally telling the truth. He had said the truth about everything. I confirmed it with Carlisle and Jake, especially with Jake about the imprinting thing. The Cullens weren't bad at all. They were all really nice. Plus, Renesmee (she grew REALLY fast!) and I seemed to be pretty good friends. Just not as good friends as she and Jacob. That's when Seth told me that Jacob had imprinted on Renesmee. I was shocked at first, but when I was calmed down, he explained that to me too. Of course I felt inconvenienced that I was the non-superhero here, and the only one at that. Seth laughed when I complained about it one night.

Oh yeah, there was another thing. I was in love with Seth Clearwater the little werewolf boy. I was in love with his shaggy black hair and his lean body; and his brilliant smile and his bubbly, kind, compassionate attitude. He was so sweet. I loved his sandy fur when he was in his wolf form, and I loved the little happy yips he greets me with after scouting missions with Leah or Jake. I loved his deep brown eyes that twinkled happily whenever we looked longingly into each other's eyes. And yeah, before it becomes a question, we did kiss. A lot, actually. We kissed a lot.

Anyways, I woke up and stretched. I slept with Seth at night (ugh, not like that though!) instead of sleeping in the Cullens' house. That'd be embarrassing since I treated them so rudely on my first impression. Sure, they all seemed to accept me, but anyways, they didn't have any spare rooms. Plus, there was _no way_ that a couch was more comfortable than snuggling with a giant wolf.

He was still asleep as I pulled myself out of the covers and snuck over to a basket of clothes Esme left out for me, right next to Seth's own basket of clothes. She was so nice to me; the nice I didn't deserve. They didn't seem to care about the constant risk of fifteen experienced tracking vampires bursting into their home at any second. Taking an outfit that I liked out of the basket, I crept into the house. They always left the door unlocked for me, Seth, and Jacob.

Esme and Carlisle were reading the paper. Edward and Bella were playing with Renesmee and Jacob was there too. They all looked up and smiled at me then went back to what they were doing. I muttered a good-morning and went to the bathroom to change.

My outfit was a pair of jeans and a tight, boat-necked tan sweater. I walked out and into the kitchen, where I prepared for myself a bowl of cereal and milk. I almost inhaled the crunchy Kellogg's corn flakes when a pair of scorching hot, muscular arms found my waist and pulled me up against a body. A chin rested against my shoulder and I quickly chewed and swallowed. I turned around in the arms, twining my arms around Seth's neck and resting my head against his chest.

"Good morning," I whispered to him.

"Hey," he replied cheerfully.

"Did I wake you?" I asked worriedly.

I felt his shoulders shrug.

"Not really. Wat'cha eatin'? Anything good?" he asked me and I felt his stomach rumble. Oh man, it took only about two days to realize exactly how much that boy ate! Literally, loads!

I laughed.

"Hmm…lemme guess… You're hungry?" I giggled. He laughed with me, nuzzling my neck gently. I bit my lower lip as he did this.

"…You want me to make it on my own? I can, y'know. Just tell me when I become a bother," he said seriously.

I scoffed playfully.

"You totally just stole those words from my mouth," I teased him.

"What d'you mean?" he frowned.

"It's not your fault you imprinted, Seth. You can't help it. But _I_ can. So just tell me whenever I'm bugging you, alright?" I told him compassionately. He rolled his eyes.

"How about now? C'mon, chill. I'm doing great. _We're_ doing great. I never thought imprinting would be so much fun," he grinned and I laughed and kissed his cheek.

"Thanks? Here, I'll make some eggs. Er, if that's okay with you, Esme?" I called to Mrs. Cullen. I heard her pretty laugh.

"Go ahead, sweetie. You're welcome to anything we have here," she called back.

"Yay," Seth breathed in my ear, tickling my skin. I wriggled out of Seth's arms and, while I laughed at Seth's last word, opened the refrigerator and grabbed the eggs and milk out. I think Seth would eat about three, but I asked him how many anyways. "Five, if that's okay. I'm starving for some reason," he sighed. I gulped. _Five eggs_? Yeah, I couldn't eat that much in a day I don't think. But Seth was different; a good different.

After breakfast and washing up, I told Seth I needed to get out of the house. He walked me outside and we stood there on the front steps for a while.

"So…where're you gonna go?" he asked casually. I shrugged my shoulders.

"A walk, probably," I answered.

He frowned.

"Really? You don't want me to come? You've never been this daring to go out on your own. I don't think it's a good idea," Seth observed with nervousness in his tone. His hands rested on my hips as he stared down at me. I rubbed his upper arms while he stared intently at me, and I returned his stare with a very calm one of mine.

I thought about it for a moment, my gaze directed at the ground, my hands still stroking Seth's upper arms; and his hands still rested gently on my hips. My tan beauty abruptly cleared his throat and I shot my head up.

"Can I…?" he trailed off but his hands squeezed my sizes gently and I knew what he meant from the gentle look in his eyes. I smiled and nodded, and he smiled kindly as he pulled me into a hug.

"Mm… so I was thinking about going alone," I began and I felt his shoulders slump with disappointment. I continued as his arms around me tightened, "…but I think it's clear to the both of us that we can't possibly spent a minute away from each other." I rested my chin on his chest and looked up with a weak smile.

He was beaming down at me with his "imprint-expression" (that's the expression that Bella would describe as "a blind man staring at the sun for the first time"). The look was one clearly of joy, and love, and admiration. I loved that "imprint-expression" of his. He made me feel special; like I was some marvelous angel or something.

"So I can come?" he asked excitedly. I nodded and smiled into his chest. He squeezed me in a giant, Seth-like bear hug.

"C'mon…let's…go," I gasped, lacking air in my lungs. Originally, I was going to say, "Seth…let…go!" but instead I thought this would be just as effective. He laughed and set me down on the ground again. He held out his hand, I took it, and they swung back and forth by our sides as we made our way down the path from the Cullen's house to the main road.

Before we even got out of earshot distance (_my_ earshot distance) of the house, a voice called Seth's name. We stopped and turned around, and Esme had a phone in her hand. She was leaning halfway out the open door.

"Seth, your mother called! She said someone left you a package at the post office. Do you mind if you and Eliza could go run down and pick it up?" she called.

Seth smiled. "Sure! Since it's for me, I don't see why anyone else would go and get it!" he called back, smiling. I smiled up at him. He was so kind; so polite. The least selfish person I had ever met. To make matters even _better_…he was all mine.

Esme waved at us, smiling, and we waved back, and then turned and continued walking.

"So… you wanna run?" he asked excitedly. I knew he loved showing off how fast he could run. Even after two months, he'd always mention it to me; and even after two months, I'd be as thrilled as the first time he ran with me (not including our first encounter. I meant, as a friend showing off his talent to another friend). I rolled my eyes playfully and we laughed; he nudged my side with his elbow and I nodded while we laughed.

I was suddenly flung on to his back, and I knew to bury my face in his neck. When I did this, he sighed gently, and then laughed.

"Ready?"

I managed a little nod.

"Okay!" he exclaimed and then the wind was rushing around us as Seth flew down the path on such incredible delicate feet. I don't think he made a single sound, or if at least one, the sound of a mouse's pattering feet on dry dirt.

I think it took about five minutes to reach the post office. We stopped a block down from there, where no one was at the moment, so that it appeared like we had been walking. I took his hand casually and we strolled into the post office. Seth went up to one of the people behind the desk, his smile brilliant. Oh yeah, did I mention that he had put on a shirt before we left the house? Just to make our walk look more like a normal couple walking hand in hand. Thank goodness for this decision, since it went well with our change in plans.

"Hi, my mom is Sue Clearwater. She said someone left a package for me here?" he asked politely. The woman smiled at him, but as her eyes glanced back over to me, her eyes widened and her face turned pale. I watched her hands shake as she reached under the top of the desk and pulled out a picture. She was trembling; thank goodness there was no one else in the post office around us. Otherwise they'd probably ask to take her to the hospital. I was about to do the same thing until I saw whom the picture was of: me.

Seth noticed this too, and he shot a wide-eyed look of horror at me.

"Y-You're h-h-her," she stuttered. She was shaking, especially her hands, as she bent down and picked up a little package. My eyes widened. No. No! No, this couldn't be happening! I was so happy here! So, so happy!

"T-they-! Th-they s-said y-you'd b-be h-here… t-they g-gave m-me a-! A picture," she choked shakily. She showed me the photo. It was…_their_ photo… it was their photo of me that they took just about five months ago. Their most recent documentation of their success; for their "scrapbook." My face was sunken in, my skin pale, and my neck was freshly cut into and there was a line of blood just around it. They'd taken it before they had healed my wound into a scar.

Seth's arm was around my waist instantly, pulling me closer. I leaned into him, one of my arms resting on his chest. The other reached out slowly and took the package; as cold as ice. My Hunters liked to make a statement. They wanted me to remember what it feels like…the coldness.

"T-Thanks," I muttered.

The woman shook her head. "No-! N-no… t-thank y-you for showing u-up. N-Now they won't…now they won't kill me. Go," she muttered, and Seth and I rushed out of the post office.

He stopped me a block down, where there was no one around.

There was fear in his eyes.

"Is it them?" he asked, his voice almost as shaky as the woman's. I nodded.

"I-It's them."

"We have to get back now! Don't open the package yet," Seth told me and I nodded. This time, I didn't ride on his back. He picked me up and pressed me firmly against his chest, my arms twining around his neck. He held me up by the back of my thighs, and the package was pressed in between my chest and his.

"It's so cold," he shivered. I sniffed.

"Yeah…they like to, y'know…make a statement," I explained to him. I buried my forehead in his neck instead of my face this time; I was too afraid to close my eyes. Then he ran as fast as he could to get back to the Cullens.


	5. At Least The Letter Opener Didn't Cut Me

The others were waiting by the front door, worried expressions on their faces. Seth set me down, but he never let go of my waist. He kept me securely up against him, and I loved him for it. I didn't want to be let go; to be separated from his warmth. Carlisle looked the calmest, but I still sensed the terror in his eyes. No… I'd sentenced them all to die! If my Hunters came out to Forks to find me, or if they were already here, then they'd come fetch me.

I gasped. No! Then Seth would try and protect me, and…he'd die trying… They couldn't compete against fifteen full grown, experienced vampires. Not the Cullens and the Hales, not Jacob Black's pack, and I doubt even Sam's pack; all combined, even. I buried my face in Seth's chest, my hands clenching fistfuls of his shirt. One of his hands stayed wrapped around my waist while the other stroked my back lightly. It didn't calm me. Not at all. Not since I realized that my Seth would die trying to protect _me_. I had to do something about it.

"Let's get inside. Esme is making some hot chocolate for you two. We'll open the package inside, if this is alright with you, Eliza; if you don't mind us reading it with you," Carlisle reasoned. I nodded.

"It's fine," I mumbled to him, and looked up at Seth. We were quickly left alone as the others darted inside to situate themselves for what was to come when I opened the package. I looked up at Seth, rubbing his chest gently.

"I love you," I told him. He blushed, his hand that was rubbing my back now gliding up to the nape of my neck.

"I love you more," he breathed and his lips found mine. They fit together perfectly and moved together in infallible sync. His lips were tender against mine, and I tilted my head to the side as he did this too. I felt his warm breath fill my mouth and his tongue trace against my lower lip. I was lightheaded and my knees were about to give out underneath me.

"Um… We're kind of waiting for you guys…" a voice mumbled from the front door. Seth and I broke apart with startled gasps, and saw Embry standing in the doorway. He was part of Jacob's pack as of a couple months ago. Obviously this meant Jacob's pack was nearby. Chances were Jacob was inside already, probably playing with Renesmee. Embry wore a smirk and Seth and I both turned bright red in the face.

With his arm still around my waist, we walked into the house. The atmosphere was grave already; and the terror returned. Seth had the package in his hand, and before I even opened it, it was passed around to everyone in the room so that they could get any scent on it. I never really thought of the scent…but that was probably because there was no need for my Hunters to conceal their scent until now. Yet they didn't. It would probably be explained in the note.

When I said it was passed around to everyone, I meant _everyone_. Except for Renesmee because she wasn't going to be a part of it. But Bella and Edward got to smell the scent just in case. I hated this…I was putting them all in so much trouble… Carlisle had it first, then Esme, then Bella, Edward, Jacob, Embry, Quil, Emmett, Rosalie, Alice, Jasper, and finally back to Seth.

The only member of Jacob's pack that _wasn't_ here was Leah. Leah hated me because Seth imprinted on me. No matter how many times Seth tried to convince his sister that I was a good person, she just claimed that he was _forced_ to believe I was a good person…and things like that… But I didn't blame her now. I put him in danger to begin with, but now that the Hunters had obtained information on my location…Seth was in danger because of me.

"Seth…don't squish the package into dust," I mumbled, seeing my love's tremors rock through his body, and distinguished veins in his wrists as he held the package.

"Kid, you need to step outside?" Jacob asked. I kind of wished he could be a bit nicer to Seth.

With this thought, I heard Edward chuckle. It was uncomfortable knowing he could hear my thoughts, but it was something I'd have to live with as long as I was with Seth. Which, I hoped for his sake and safety, wasn't going to be much longer. It killed me to think this, but the easiest way for me to keep this new little family of mine safe was to leave. When I glanced over at Edward again, his face was stone hard; serious, and clearly he looked unforgiving. He had heard what I thought.

_Don't tell him_, I thought, begging Edward. His face didn't soften, but he nodded.

When I looked back at Seth, I saw a question in his eyes. He needed to get outside. The tremors hadn't stopped rippling through his body yet.

"C-Can I? F-For a m-moment?" he stuttered through clenched teeth. He handed me the package and I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him gently on the lips.

"Go," I muttered, and he bolted out the door. I turned to Jacob. "Will he be okay? Should we just go on without him?" I asked quietly.

Jacob was holding Renesmee and she was sleeping in his arms. Honestly, she had grown so much that she looked kind of like a six year old now; but still Jacob cradled her like a baby. He loved her... I don't think I could ever comprehend the true power of imprinting…

He shook his head. "He'll be back in as soon as he's under control. I don't know when that'll be though, 'cause this hasn't happened to him before. But you should wait. He won't want to miss it," Jacob told me. I nodded, staggering over to the couch and sitting down. I set down the package beside me and Esme handed me a mug of hot chocolate. I thanked her with as warm a smile as I could muster and they all went back to what they were doing before Seth and I came, although a bit quieter and more cautious I'm sure.

I was near finished with my hot chocolate by the time that Seth came back in. It was the only thing that kept me warm while he wasn't by my side, although it could never compete to Seth's warmth. That was a much, much better kind of warmth. In many ways.

I'm sure he tried to creep back in without anyone noticing, but naturally all heads snapped in his direction. He just walked silently over to my side, moving the package on to my lap and pressing himself right up against my side, a very warm arm going around my shoulders. The rest of the group gathered around, and Esme handed me a letter opener. I sliced through the package top with one swift motion, and handed it back to Esme with a "thanks."

I dumped the contents out on my lap. Yep. It was totally them. I saw everything I normally saw. There was a wad of cash, twenty dollar bills, tied together with a rubber band; a smaller envelope that was their actual letter; plane tickets, and then the dreaded timer. It was still counting down, and I told everyone around me not to stop it.

My hand reached for my Hunters' letter just as Seth's did, and we looked at each other in silence for a moment. He held my hand, still shaking just slightly, and carried it gingerly to his mouth. He breathed on it for a moment and then kissed it tenderly. I blushed and he allowed me to pull my hand away.

"Go ahead," he said, easing the tension between us with a little nudge from his elbow to my side. He liked doing that. I brought my eyes back to the smaller envelope and opened it up, unfolding a letter.

I read it aloud:

Eliza,

We're all wondering where you are. You disobeyed us; we haven't heard from you in months. It's disappointing a few of us. Especially Aaron – he misses you a lot. Our patience is running short. Why did you run from us? Just like your mother, I suppose. Trying to save someone dear to you?

Well here is the thing: we know where you are. Aren't you surprised we found you? It took us a while. Forks, Washington? Really, Eliza? Anyways, we sent one of our scouts out looking for you. When she found you, we saw something we _really_ didn't want to see. Vampires, Eliza? And werewolves? Did you make some friends, Eliza? Let us tell you this: do you see the timer? Do you see the numbers, counting down and down every second? That's how much time you have to meet us in our new location. If you don't come by then, we'll come _for_ you.

I doubt you'd want that. Our scout – believe it or not, Karina – saw you with one werewolf in particular. I think she heard his name was Seth, correct? Well, Eliza, if you don't come to us within the amount of time left on that little timer, Seth's going to pay. We'll come, and we'll kill him. We'll kill everyone you came into contact with. You too, dear. You've disappointed and disobeyed us. We don't like that. You saw what we did to the rest of your family; we'll do it to you all the same. I doubt there is little you can do about it, too.

Aside from the dreary news I have just given you, how is life? Are you fairing well? Like I said, Aaron misses you. He wishes you were here. I think he has even mentioned that you were one of his favorites. He's thirsty too. You should be expecting him first, just to tell you, if you don't meet us at your required location in time.

Anyways, there isn't much left to say. I have left you money for taxi fares and food (we would love if you came well nourished and with fresh, fresh blood for us) and plane tickets, as well as a set of directions on the back of this sheet.

You know we usually don't write this much. I'm guessing your friends are with you too, correct? Well this information here is for them, then: Eliza Young, **come alone**.

We do hope you are well, and we cannot wait to see you,

Vincent

My hands were shaking. I grabbed the timer. Seventy-one hours, thirty-three minutes, and five seconds…four seconds…three… and counting down. "No," I breathed, and turned to look at Seth. Instead of seeing a look of horror on his face, I saw a look of hurt; of devastation.

"…What was with you and that Aaron guy?" he asked suspiciously.

I scoffed. "Are you kidding me, Seth? That's not the point!" I snapped at him. He shrunk but pulled me closer. I let him kiss my cheek.

"Sorry…just wondering," he mumbled into my cheek.

I sighed.

"He's a sick…masochistic… perverted creature," I spat, shaking angrily. "There's this thing where sometimes a human's blood is more potent to a vampire than other humans," I began.

"That happened with me and Bella when she was still a human," Edward interrupted with a chuckle.

"Oh…well, yeah. That's like with me and Aaron. He would, um…well when it was his turn to hunt, it wouldn't be much of a hunt for him… He'd, uh…he'd tell me to go to a hotel, throw me on the bed, and then drain my body of blood…y'know?" I shivered when the thoughts came back to me. Seth's tremors returned, but I made them go away by hugging him and pressed my lips firmly against his. "He didn't do anything else. He didn't want to do anything else, but he was just like that," I added reassuringly. Seth nodded and he calmed down.

Someone cleared their throat. We looked up and all eyes were on us. I blushed and handed Carlisle the note as he politely held his hand out for it.

"It's repulsive. Absolutely disgusting," Carlisle muttered, shaking his head with a furrow in his brow.

"I have to leave," I declared.

Seth was on his feet instantly, standing in front of me. He didn't care the shocked expressions he received from the vampires and his fellow pack mates.

"No! No, you're not leaving! I'm not letting you just walk to your death!" he shouted fiercely. I stood up, placing my hands on his warm neck with a very serious look on my face.

"I'm not letting you die for my sake," I glared. "I'm not putting any one of you to your deaths. I shouldn't be here. I'm a guest. Strictly a guest. And as a way to repay for your kindness that I truly don't deserve, I'll get out of here. I don't belong here. I belong no where. I run. That's what I was activated to do; that's what I will die doing. Seth, if you die, I'll kill myself before they can get their hands on me."

I finished my speech and took a deep breath. The room was silent.

"…You can't just leave, Eliza," Seth murmured, holding me against his chest. I buried my face in his shirt and hot tears ran down my cheeks and stained his shirt.

"I have to! I'm not gonna let anyone die on my behalf. I'm sorry," I mumbled into the cloth of his shirt. Pulling out of Seth's arms to face the others, I cleared my throat. "Thanks so much for everything. All of you. And I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry I made your lives far more dramatic than it should be. Drama and danger; I always seem to take those too qualities along with me wherever I go. It's sucks, and I'm sorry," I told them.

"It's really okay, Eliza. When I was human, you should have seen how much trouble I got into," Bella tried to reassure me. She looked up at Edward, whose arms were around her waist, and they grinned at each other. Seth's arms were around me, trembling just a bit.

"But I'm…I'm not really part of the family. Bella, you've got Edward-"

"-and you have Seth. Seth is as much a part of this family as I am or Jacob is. Anyways, I might end up having him as my step-brother someday, if his mom and my dad get any friendlier. Which it seems to be heading in such a direction," Bella interrupted with a roll of her eyes. "If you don't want to break Seth's heart, then don't leave, Eliza," she added coldly. I knew she was right; I also knew she was accusing me of thinking about leaving.

Seth turned me around. "You know you should really listen to Bella. She's smart," he said matter-of-factly. I couldn't help but giggle. Seth could always make me happy, despite the situation we were in. His face fell and he pulled me into his chest again. "Don't leave, Eliza…" he begged.

"I haveta do something. I can't just let them come for me! None of you are going to die, I promise! And think of how dangerous it would be for Renesmee?" I whispered the last part. I glanced over at Bella, Edward, and Jacob. Jacob had a very vicious look of defense on his face and Bella and Edward looked terribly worried as they stood beside Jacob's sides, considering the possibilities of outcomes if my Hunters came for me.

I suddenly remembered something, and looked back at Seth.

"And don't worry about your mom, Seth," I told him. His eyes still widened with terror.

"Mom! Esme said she sent us the call! No! No, they got to mom!" he growled, tremors of fear now rocking through his body. "We have to-!"

I put a finger over his lips.

"I said don't worry about her! Your mom is fine, Seth."

"But-!"

"But nothing. It was Karina…she's the vampire I told you about that can create illusions, remember? She can get those illusions to speak, too…she must've heard your mom's voice or something. But it's not your mom. I promise," I explained. Seth calmed down. I had never seen him so shaky.

"Whew, I'm okay now," he said after a moment of slow, deep breathing. He grinned at me and I had this urge to kiss him again.

Jasper cleared his throat. I kind of felt sorry for him, since he had to feel other people's emotions. That must drive him crazy, I thought.

"He does alright," Edward answered my thoughts.

I looked at him with surprise until I realized he had heard me think.

"Yeah, he does that a lot to me, too," Jacob grimaced. I bit my lip to keep from laughing.

The day went slowly. Seth never left my side except when Jacob really needed him to do some scouting and stuff. They wanted to see if they could pick up Karina's scent. Naturally it would be unfamiliar to them, but they said that any unfamiliar vampire scent found within either the La Push pack's territory or Jacob's would be inexcusable. They'd hunt her down if they found her such a threat; which she was.

To our utter disappointment, Seth and the others came back empty-handed. I knew he felt bad about it too, although he didn't say it. I met him outside the house after Jacob rushed back inside the house to be with Renesmee. His sandy fur shook in the slight wind, and I hugged myself to keep warm.

"Hey Seth," I said in a tiny-voice, chilled from the bitter temperature. He yipped back at me, his bushy tail wagging happily behind him. I tried to force a laugh, but an icy chill shot through me and I shuddered and my teeth rattled. He whined and approached me, nuzzling my shoulder with his big forehead. I think his eye was bigger than two of my fists… huh. I wrapped my arms around his neck, burying my face in his fur and stroking his shoulder lightly. I almost burst out laughing when I heard a little purring sound coming from deep within his chest.

"Happy?" I whispered in his giant ear. There was a light sound in his chest that sounded like a gentle laugh. He nodded his big head.

"It's okay that you didn't find anything," I told him. He whined disappointedly. "No, I really don't mind. I'm happier that you're back here with me. If you actually found something, I think I'd be terrified for my life," I admitted. He huffed and I nuzzled my face against his warm, furry neck again.

"You cold? We can go inside if you want. I'll make you something to eat for dinner," I said in a persuasive tone.

His giant pink tongue lolled out of his mouth as I backed away to get a good answer from the expression on his face or his vocal reply. I could see the faint lines as his lips curled up into a smile. My offer was tempting him. But he whined, and looked back toward the forest. Embry and Quil were probably back there. And most definitely Leah. I think she was whom he was worried about the most; well her opinion. Of course it was up to Jake mostly, and he was inside taking care of Renesmee.

"I'll ask Jacob if you want me to," I offered. His big head turned back to me and he yipped and nuzzled my cheek with just a fraction of his forehead because it was so big. I stroked his muzzle and sighed.

"Alright. I'll be right back. Don't get into too much trouble," I smirked, and I heard him bark a laugh when I turned and walked inside.

Seth joined me after Jacob's "okay."


	6. I Have Serious Mood Swing Issues, I Know

I cooked my dinner and Seth's, and immediately felt guilty when the Cullens refrigerator was depleted of milk. Seth, Jacob, and I were eating all of their food. Esme said it was alright, but I didn't believe her. I wasn't nearly as close as family as Bella was when she was still human. Edward heard these thoughts but didn't say anything. He agreed with me, and I knew this because he didn't comment.

I was here because Seth had found me. I didn't really belong; which gave me all the more reason to leave. Bella's words were stuck in my head for the rest of the night, "If you don't want to break Seth's heart, then don't leave, Eliza," but mostly the first part. Break Seth's heart…. Leaving wouldn't do that much damage, would it? I caught Edward's short, curt nod as he answered my thoughts.

I don't think they liked me much… Especially once they found out what I was. Uh, a Runner I mean. And with a team of fifteen vampires hunting me, I'm sure I made their "icky-"list instantly. No matter how kind they were, I think Seth was the only one who truly accepted me.

Seth was tired by the end of the day. Jacob made him run the perimeter again just in case, and when he was back I could tell the excitement from today was finally getting him. Usually that boy had so much energy; I was almost convinced that something was terribly wrong. Yet when I asked him if this was it, he just shook his head, smiled, and told me everything was "a-okay."

We were heading outside for the night (ha! You'd think that'd be strange to say, but it wasn't…for me at least) when Esme called my name. I turned around and Seth stopped with me, unwilling to release my waist.

"Eliza…with the, um… them expected in a few days, if you're staying with us-"

"Which she is," Seth interrupted. We all looked at him and his cheeks turned pink. "Oops! Sorry, go ahead."

Esme looked back at me. "Anyways, with possible visitors in the nearby future, and with the frightening news that there has already been one unwelcome guest in these areas… I was wondering if you wanted to stay inside tonight? I know Seth likes you by his side, so he's welcome to sleep here too. But I'm a little worried about what could happen while you two are asleep. We can set up a makeshift room for you upstairs. We have a guest room," Esme offered. I blushed.

"Um…" I didn't know what to say. Thank you, but no thanks? No…no, I didn't want to be rude.

"She has a point, Eliza. What if Karina, or…or Aaron" Seth spat that name "comes unexpectedly tonight or something? You'd be safer in here, I've gotta admit. Um…is it okay if I stay with you? Er, just in case," he mumbled.

I sighed, resting my head against Seth's bicep.

"I-If it's really alright with the others if I stay here tonight…" I asked warily, looking back at Esme. I wanted to make sure that they weren't forcing themselves to be nice. Esme smiled warmly at me.

"I'm sure it would be fine. Seth, you too. It's not like we're going to sleep or anything," Esme said, and then all of a sudden, she was standing in front of me. She looked at Seth for a moment and he took his arm off of me. I was a little frightened when he did this, only because I didn't get why he did. Then Esme's cold hands rested very gently on my shoulders and I felt comforted somehow.

"Eliza, don't you ever think you are not a part of this family. Even if Seth didn't love you, don't consider us compassionless monsters. If Seth had found you but didn't imprint on you, if he brought you back here all the same – which I am sure he would have done – we would have taken you into the family," Esme assured me. I blushed and I couldn't help but hug her. She hugged me back, making sure not to crush me with her vampiric strength. When she let go, I felt like crying.

"Th-thanks, Es-Esme," I choked out, trying to conceal the tears that were ready to pour from my eyes. Esme kissed me lightly on the cheek and walked off. I turned around to Seth and he was smiling tenderly. He used the edge of his tan index finger to wipe away the wetness on my cheeks.

"Shh…don't cry. You know I hate it when you cry," he told me and I blushed. Seth just grinned, and pulled me into his arms.

Esme showed me to a little room. I was actually surprised that it was small; since most other rooms in the house were fairly large. It had a queen sized bed in it, though, and Esme handed me the sheets so that I could make the bed. Wow, when they said that they liked to own things to keep up appearance, they meant it. They had, like, everything.

The clothes that I had, some of Alice's used-only-once-hand-me-downs, were in a laundry basket at the bottom of the bed, next to Seth's. I guess they assumed we were sleeping in the same bed together… When Seth and I both considered this, we were too embarrassed to talk for the next few minutes. It was absolutely fine when Seth and I would sleep outside, since he was always in wolf-form and I was in a bundle of blankets anyways, but sleeping together…in the same bed… under the same covers…? Yeah. That was pretty awkward.

I left to the bathroom to change into a pair of flannel shorts that ended just below my butt (although I loved Alice for letting me use her "old" clothes, her choice of clothing was a little too risqué for my taste…) and a tight, satin spaghetti strapped shirt – over my bra – that unfortunately had a v-dipped cleavage. The worst thing was that, these were the least revealing nightwear that Alice had. Of course, I could change into one of Seth's cotton tee-shirts but there was no way to escape the shorts.

I came back to the room and found that Seth had changed into a pair of sweats, but he wasn't wearing a shirt just in case he got a midnight call or something. He was lying on top of the covers, and I was guessing that it was too warm for even him under the covers. Or something along the lines of that. He smiled and sat up on the edge of the bed. I walked over to the other side, pulling myself under the covers and turning off the lamp on my side of the bed.

"What? No 'good-night'?" Seth teased. I rolled my eyes as he lay down beside me, still on top of the covers, and scooted up against me. His warm hand stroked my cheek and I leaned into his touch, sighing.

"G'night," I mumbled, moving closer. The covers prevented us from getting anything closer than an inch or so. I couldn't wrap my arms around him with all of these blankets separating us. From the expression on Seth's face, he was equally as frustrated about this as I was.

His frown soon became a look of innocence; a tiny, shy, and very persuasive look. His eyes would look down and then he'd look back up through his lashes at me, a couple times he did this. "You know…I'm sure I'd be able to keep you warm enough without the covers… if, er…if you don't mind of course," he offered. I smiled. I was actually relieved to get out from under the covers. I felt really isolated underneath the covers for some reason. Ugh. Or maybe I was just a pervert.

"Sure, sure," I mumbled teasingly, and threw the covers off of me. I bent over the bed and straightened the sheets again (I have an Obsessive Compulsion Disorder, I do believe) and then lay down on my side on top of them. I was facing Seth. He was smiling and his arms reached out and pulled me up against him. I buried my face in his chest and sighed. It was late, around eleven I think, and I was absolutely exhausted. Too bad I was kind of afraid to sleep tonight.

Whenever I closed my eyes, I saw Karina's, or Vincent's, or Aaron's face in my mind. Then I felt Seth stroke my back and kiss my hair, and I finally calmed down a bit.

"You'll stay with me, right?" Seth asked. Great. Of course he had to ask this.

I hesitated, biting my lower lip. I really hoped Edward wasn't listening right now.

I curled myself around him, one of my legs thrown over his hip as I dragged myself closer to him. I heard his breath catch…or maybe it was mine. Huh…such strange feelings. Ugh! And how old was I? How old was Seth? Fifteen. And he wasn't getting any older. So long as their were vampires in Forks, Washington – apparently the elders disregarded the fact that THE CULLENS POSED NO APPARENT THREAT AT ALL – Seth Clearwater would stay a boy of fifteen with the body of a twenty-year-old (and since the Cullens were planning on staying for a very long time, chances are he would never age). That ruled out any future romance or crap. Aw man.

"Yeah. Yeah, of course," I mumbled into his hot skin.

My answer didn't convince him.

"Really? You promise?" he asked seriously.

No... I couldn't promise to him.

"Seth," I sighed, uncoiling myself from around him and sitting up, my legs folding "Indian-style." He looked up at me, and I looked down, mainly at his hands while my much-smaller fingers played with them and then occasionally his face. "…No, Seth…I can't promise to stay with you. I-It'd be best if I left, you know that, right? I-I can't let them hurt you," I choked out in a whisper. I knew the vampires were listening to me downstairs. They were probably tired of this conversation by now.

Seth sat up, frowning, and pulled me into his lap, cradling me there.

"I'd fight for you, y'know. You're one of the only people in my life that I can't live without. Probably the only person, to tell you the truth. Just don't tell Jacob, Mom, or Leah, 'kay?"

I loved how he tried to ease the tension. I always sucked at doing that. He had a grin on his face when I looked back at him.

"I love you," I muttered to him.

His face grew worried. "But…?"

I sighed. "But…I can't just sit around here and let them come to me. The easiest thing to do is just go to them; get it over with. You'll be much better off in life without me. I'm sure you will. You'll find a nice, pretty girl who you won't be tied with by your life because of some magical wolfy thing. You'll love her because you choose to love her. A person like me is; well, me for you, the whole imprinting thing I'm talking about… L-Look, I-I'm just trying to say that I'm not healthy for you. Chances are, there would be some time in our life where I was going somewhere for the day to get out of the house and you had a duty to your pack or something, and then because of this whole imprinting thing, the minute I asked you to come with me, you'd have to disobey your Alpha's orders because the compulsion you have to come with me. It's not right. I don't want to take away your freedom. If what you want is me, right now, I'm here for you. But…I'm going to have to leave within the next day…I need to get to the airport. I need to get on that plane, and I need to get as far away as possible from you so that they won't hurt you," I finished my speech in tears. His arms were around me protectively.

"You know I want you to stay with me. But-! Ugh! It's just so annoying!"

"I know, I am!" I sobbed quietly.

"No! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Not you! Never you," his voice was softer at the end, gentler; like he actually loved me. Like he wasn't forced to love me.

We sat in silence as I calmed down.

"You know, even if I didn't imprint on you, Eliza, I'd still want you just as much as I want you right now. I'd still love you the same because, well…" Seth stopped and took a deep breath. I think the both of us had enough speeches for the rest of the night. He still laid me back against the mattress and hovered over me on his hands and knees. He lowered his face and kissed my lips once very softly.

"What we have is beautiful, Eliza," he breathed. Seth's voice was so tender, so full of love…It took nothing but those simple words to convince me that he was so very sincere, and so very in love with me. "It's magical, Eliza. This isn't something that, if I could, I'd turn off. If I had an on and off switch for whether or not I wanted to imprint on you, I mean, fall in love with you, then I'd smash it while it was in its 'on' position. I'd never give this up. I don't know if you've noticed how alive I feel when I'm around you," he murmured while he nuzzled my neck.

It made me wonder, as we were in such a position at the moment that could probably get us grounded if our parents were here (well, if my parents were alive, and our parents were here), if he really did want me. Like, want me, want me. I blushed at the thought because we were both so young. My heart was beating erratically inside my chest, my eyes fluttering back into my head when Seth kissed my neck very lightly, his warm breath blowing against my skin.

I wanted to get out of here now; to get away before we could do anything else that would definitely keep me here in Forks, Washington. But naturally at the same time, I wanted to stay. I was torn between two emotions, both over the same thing: Seth's safety. It also made me wonder if Seth liked girls who totally screamed, "Danger, danger: a bunch of unfriendly vampires are chasing me! Kiss me!" or…crap to that effect.

Seth sighed, stealing me from my epiphany. I looked back up at him. He quickly took this as an opportunity and pressed his lips against mine. Softly first, and then the kiss grew more passionate; a type of kiss we'd never had together before. There was still gentleness in the kiss, but it was definitely passionate. I sighed into Seth's mouth and he murmured my name. My hands found his very warm neck and pushed him down even more, and he gasped wildly at this, our lips moving against each other's.

From there, everything was a daze.

I think I fell asleep. No, I definitely fell asleep. When I opened my eyes I felt all groggy and I knew my equilibrium was off when I crawled out of bed. Um. Well first there was that issue.

Seth's arm was draped around me, heavy, muscular, and very much keeping me in place.

I had such a strange dream last night. It was about my future. Well there were two parts that I saw, really. One was of our possible future together. That one I hated the most; because in that part of the dream, Seth was naturally forever-young, and I was a forty-year-old or something. The other dream I liked the most. I was being told, over and over and over again by Vincent and Aaron that, thank goodness, Seth was alright. I was in a dark room, cornered by vampires, and I was so relieved that they were just telling me that Seth was alright. And I was so relieved! I was so happy to hear that Seth was alright! They were assuring me that Seth was alright. And that's all I needed. All I needed was to know that Seth would be alright if I went back to my Hunters. That would be enough. If Seth was unharmed, then I could die. With that little dream last night, and despite the conversation and the good-note that Seth and I had ended on last night, I knew I had made up my mind. I loved Seth. I was doing this for Seth, not to hurt him. He'd figure that out. I knew he could live without me.

I slipped out of his arm as carefully as possible. My bags… what did I need to bring? Only the contents of Vincent's package he sent me. Damn… Carlisle had the opened package the last time I saw it… I showered last night so I was all shaved and clean. I very quietly dampened a cloth and scrubbed my face with just pure water, then dried it off. I brushed my teeth, since they liked eating "clean" food. It was like I was going back to a routine I had. The old routine; before Seth came into my life.

I dressed into a short pink skirt Alice had, a pair of flip-flops, and a black boat-neck sweater. When I walked back to my makeshift room, Seth was there, still asleep. I contemplated going over and kissing him once on the cheek before I left, but instead I just blew him a silent kiss and crept down the stairs.

There we go… I had spotted the package on the kitchen counter and picked it up, hugging it to my chest. I was halfway to the door…getting closer…only about fifteen feet…

"Eliza?" a voice so low whispered to me. I gasped, jumping just slightly as I turned around. Thank goodness it wasn't Seth. But worse…it was Bella. Her arms were crossed and there was a disapproving look on her face. I sighed.

"Look, Bella…I'm really sorry I came here to Forks… I shouldn't have… so I'm taking myself out of the picture," I explained, whispering as low as I could. Surprisingly, no other vampires joined Bella. She was frowning.

"You're really leaving?"

I nodded.

Bella sighed. "What did you say to Seth?"

My eyes widened… I blushed.

"Um…We just ended on a good note last night, so…I thought that'd do," I murmured.

"You really shouldn't do that to him, Eliza. Seth is the sweetest guy you'll ever find-"

"Which is exactly why I don't want to lose him! Well… I mean… W-What I'm doing, I won't b-be losing him… I'll, uh…I'll just be making him safer, y'know?" I whispered.

Bella scoffed.

"Can you cut the crappy drama, Eliza? He loves you. So, so much. He'll kill himself if you leave. He'll never leave the house. If you go away, he'll have no reason to live. He'd throw away his life for you. And by the way you're acting right now, it'd so not be worth it," she taunted.

She was trying to convince me to stay. She was being mean because she thought that I'd fall for it and that I'd try to prove to her that it so was worth it by staying. I wasn't convinced, though. I knew what I had to do. The one person who could possibly stop me was the one person whom I was doing this for; the one person whom I was so desperate to save. So desperate that I'd practically commit suicide to save.

"Tell him I'll always love him. Please tell him that," I begged her.

Suddenly her face softened. "We don't want you to leave, Eliza. And, you know, Emmett's really frustrated at you," she added with a little smirk. My eyes widened.

"Huh?"

"Yeah. He's mad 'cause he thinks that you don't believe we can take your Hunters down like this" she snapped her fingers "but if you stay… you'll make him happy – Emmett can have a really big ego sometimes – and you'll definitely make Seth happy," she continued.

I paused and bit my lower lip. So…so tempting to stay for Seth…and, uh. I guess for Emmett too.

"No, Bella. I just can't do it. I can't put all of you in danger like that," I muttered, and rushed outside before I could hear a reply from Bella.

I was outside in the freezing cold, and was looking for a single soul.

"Leah?"

There was a growling coming from the bushes. I knew it was her.

"Leah…I'm sorry I came here. I just wanted to tell you that. I know you're upset that your brother imprinted on me. But I need to ask you a really big favor; and yes, you, not Seth. No one else but you 'cause you're probably the most willing one to go along with this plan," I began. Leah stalked out of the bushes, her glowing eyes making me cower at the sight of her wolfen beauty.

"…Leah, I'm going to find the vampires that hunt me. I'm gonna go to them before they can come here and hurt Seth. I'm gonna kill myself for his safety," I explained to her. I saw her eyes light up in the light of dawn, and her tail wag. She was happy. At least I was making someone happy. But some day in the future, while I'm watching down on Seth in heaven, he'll be happy too; he'll be happy, too, that I left him.

"But…I kind of need a ride to the airport…can you help me out there?" I whispered to her. She immediately shifted angles and bent down so that I could climb on to her back. Which I did. Her fur coat wasn't as silky and smooth and warm as Seth's. I sighed disappointedly, and she snarled. I shut myself up after that, carefully grabbing on to her fur and burying my face in the back of her neck.

The wind flew around us…for about ten seconds. Leah skidded to a stop, and I gasped.

"Leah? What's wrong?"

She snarled, but not at me. At the creature in front of us. The whimper…Oh…oh…the whimper!

I felt like crying. I leapt off of Leah's back with the package in my hand and I stood just in front of her.

The gangly little fifteen-year-old was in full wolf form, sadness in his eyes, and a frown on his face. I was crying now.

"Bella told you, didn't she?" I whimpered. Seth whined. I looked at his pose. He was horizontally blocking the path in front of me and Leah. His legs were spread out and they didn't look so firm, a little wobbly actually. His ears were flat against his giant skull, and his tail was tucked against his belly. I bit my lower lip.

He nodded, finally answering me.

"I need to go, Seth," I told him in a whisper, and then I heard the most painful, agonizing yowl ever. Seth was shaking his head violently. Leah stood behind me, growling. Seth looked up at her, his eyes wide, and he shook his head in terror. I took a step toward him.

"Did Leah tell you I asked her to take me to the airport?... I need to get away, Seth. Away from you but just to keep you safe," I told him. He yelped, closing in the space between us with half a stride. It was a little shocking when I was suddenly knocked to the ground unharmed, and Seth was hovering over me. He whimpered, leaning down and licking me from my waist up. I gasped, feeling all slobbery and wet now.

"Seth!" I groaned. "Ugh! I'm all gross now… I have to shower and change clothes an' stuff now," I complained. Leah, behind us, snorted, and I heard her footsteps receding back into the dark. She was convinced that Seth would take me back home. When I looked back up at Seth, there was a weak, lifeless grin on his face. Still a grin all the same. I glared at him suspiciously. "You evil, adorable little dog," I mumbled and there was a little laugh in the back of his enormous throat. "You did that on purpose so I'd have to stay here longer," I glared at him. His grin was gone. His eyes were begging me to stay. I could tell.

"Seth…I need to go now," I told him firmly, like I seriously was talking to a dog. He whined, resting his nose on my forehead for a second. "I love you too, Seth," I breathed and he whimpered now. "I have to! It's all for your safety, y'know," I told him, whining now to be released. My heart was thumping nervously in my chest. If I didn't get there in time…

Seth wasn't hovering over me now. He was beside me, his paws over his face, whimpering. I scooted over next to him, draping myself over his warm neck and stroking his shoulder. "Seth…I need to go," I repeated, once again. His low keen was painful to hear. I sighed, kissing his furry neck. Pulling myself away from him, quite reluctantly, I checked the timer. I had a little less than two days…

I hesitated, knowing that I'd totally regret it if I chose to –

"W-Well… I guess I can't deny Emmett the satisfaction of kicking some bad-guy butt..." I decided, though that wasn't the real reason. I looked into Seth's big brown eyes and he was finally happy. I knew he had caught on that I had decided to stay. He whimpered, not out of disappointment, but I'm guessing with happiness now. He licked my shoulder and I couldn't help but groan and then laugh.

All of the Cullens were in the living room waiting for us when we got back. I turned a bright red seeing Esme's and Bella's happy faces, and then Emmett's wide, pearly-white-toothed grin. Carlisle had a warm smile on his face, Jacob looked a little reluctant to smile though. Rosalie was in a corner and I think Alice looked pretty happy. She was standing with Jasper, his arms around her waist.

The first thing I did was apologize.

"Sorry, uhm… about basically everything. Bella's right," I chuckled "I'm such a big drama queen."

A couple people laughed. Esme was over by our side and she hugged me. "We're glad you didn't leave, sweetie," she whispered. I glanced up at Seth, and he was smiling his "imprint-expression" down at me. I blushed again.

"Cool, so you're staying? Does that mean I can kick some bad-vampire ass?" Emmett spoke up. A lot of us laughed now at his enthusiasm.

"I'm going to feel guilty about it for a while, you know," I warned them. "That means a lot of apologizing and a lot of drama," I teased.

"S'okay. Seth'll find a way to shut you up," Jacob said, winking to his pack mate. I blushed and when I looked up at Seth, his cheeks were red too.

"It's still gonna suck 'cause I have to grow up and you don't," I pouted to Seth. He flashed a smile at me and hugged me closer.

"I don't know, maybe I'll end up controlling myself so I'll be able to age again," he whispered to me. I remembered what Seth had told me; about the one chance that would make them age again. I shrugged. "Maybe. Or maybe I'll just get bitten by a werewolf and turn into one like you," I joked.

His laugh was a short "HA!" but very loud. "Like I haven't heard that one before!" he grinned as he led me back upstairs.

Bella stopped us, though.

"Hey, uh, Eliza?" she called. We turned around, only up a few steps. "…Just wondering but…why do you smell like dog slobber?" she asked, wrinkling her nose and fanning one hand in front of her face for dramatic, teasing effect. I blushed.

"Long…story?" I think she heard the question mark at the end of my "explanation" because she laughed.

I felt Seth's stomach rumble against my side, and I grinned up at him.

"I'll make the shower short so that you won't starve to death," I assured him, rolling my eyes. He blushed with embarrassment and kissed my lips.

This is where everyone goes "Awww! A happy ending!" HA! Yeah right. This is just the beginning.


	7. OhEmGee A Werewolf Was Hitting On Me!

Esme let me stay in my makeshift room another night. Actually, she offered it as my permanent room for however long I stayed, but I just couldn't accept that. Plus, it would be better for Seth to stay outside in his wolf form just in case anything very serious came up; especially around this day and the next, when my vampire Hunters were due.

Seth's arms were around me after we dressed for the night and were on top of the covers.

"Thanks for not leaving," he sighed, pecking my lips.

"Thanks for slobbering some sense into me," I joked, rolling my eyes. He blushed. "Ugh, okay. That sounded a little wrong," I murmured, blushing. We laughed a bit, and his hand found the small of my back, pressing me up against him. I bit my lower lip, nuzzling my face into his chest. I sighed, his chest was so warm.

"Sleepy already? We haven't done anything today," he laughed.

I smiled against his chest, comforted by his warm breath on the top of my head.

"No. But we've got some preparations to do for when we haveta fight off Vincent and the others. I need sleep so that I can think of some plans tomorrow," I told him. He sighed, stroking my hair.

"Are you sleepy already?" I asked him, tilting my head up so that my chin rested on his chest and I could stare lovingly up into his eyes. He suddenly blushed; I could see that much in the moonlight.

He shrugged his shoulders, one of his hands playing around with my hair.

"Nn," he murmured, tucking a strand behind my ear.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothin'. Just…thinking about something," he shrugged. I frowned, positioning myself so that I could kiss him lightly on the lips. He hummed happily.

"What?" I murmured through his lips. He didn't answer for a moment so I pulled away and gently held his face in my hands. "What's wrong?"

He looked down at me with reddened cheeks.

"Just thinking about our possible future together, that's all," he shrugged. I blushed.

"Is it possible for us to have a future together?" I mumbled into his shoulder.

"I hope so," he sighed, kissing the top of my head.

"Really?" I asked in a tiny voice with a giddy smile on my face. He smiled shyly and nodded.

"Duh," he scoffed playfully, and we rolled out on our backs, staring up at the ceiling. There was silence for a moment; it was a bit awkward.

"So…" Seth chuckled.

We shifted around awkwardly and my eyes roamed the room.

"Yep," I sighed, popping the "p."

A question popped up in my mind. "So… what were you thinking about?" I asked him.

He turned his head to the side as I had already done, and frowned.

"Hm?"

I rolled my eyes. "What were you thinking about…y'know…about our possible future? Any ideas?" I asked him curiously. He blushed and looked away for a moment, his hands clasping behind his head.

"Um…well…I was just thinking about how long we'll be together. How long you'll love me; even while you age and I, uh…don't. I was wondering when I'd start aging again and if you'd…" he trailed off for a moment, hesitant. I bit my lower lip and tried to hide a smile.

"If I'd what?"

He looked at me with a very serious expression. "Well, if you'd want to marry me even if we have a significant age difference," he mumbled.

"Age doesn't matter to me," I assured him.

He forced a smile but it soon disappeared after he muttered a "thanks."

"What now?"

He shrugged his shoulders.

"C'mon, tell me. What else were you thinking about?" I asked him, surprisingly eager to hear how far his mind could wander.

He cleared his throat.

"I was, uh…also thinking about…"

"About what? C'mon, Seth, stop being all hesitating," I complained. He chuckled once and this time, the small smile on his face didn't disappear. He did, however, glance up at the ceiling as he finished –

"I was thinking about…how many children you and I'd have," he mumbled.

I held back a gasp and shot upright, sitting and crossing my legs "Indian-style." Seth looked away, his cheeks reddened.

"Whoa," I breathed. I felt some sudden reaction to his words and my hand flew to my stomach.

"Heh…sorry," he mumbled, still not looking at me.

"It's okay. I just wasn't expecting that," I shrugged. He sat up now, still looking away. I couldn't help but smile. When he glanced at me, he quickly looked away with a frown, his cheeks still burning red.

"What's with that smile?" he muttered. I giggled, the butterflies in my stomach not yet calming down.

"I'm just thinking about how cute you look when you're embarrassed," I admitted bluntly, and his cheeks just turned even redder. I giggled.

We lied back down, and I scooted up closer to him, resting my face against his warm chest. There was silence.

"You okay?" Seth asked me. I sighed, kissing his cheek carefully and sleepily.

"Yeah. That comment of yours just kind of hit me…" I breathed, and he chuckled.

"Oh. Sorry. Wanna catch some Z's then?" His tone was much lighter, much more Seth-like now. I grinned. This was more like it; the Seth that I was more comfortable around.

I sighed. "Yeah. That'd be cool," I giggled. He held me against his chest again.

"Alright. Night," he whispered into my hair. I mumbled a "good-night" to him and closed my eyes.I was nodding in and out of sleep, his breathing got shallower and the calm sound was lulling me to sleep. But before I could go to sleep, I had to say one last thing:

"Hey Seth?"

He jerked awake with a sleepy moan that acknowledged my presence. I began rubbing his chest, trying to make him sleep again.

"Mm?" he sighed, pulling me closer. I closed my eyes and sighed.

"…I think I want three," I told him.

I felt his smiling lips on the top of my head.

"Awesome. Three's my new lucky number," he grinned, and we said good night one last time. Seth fell asleep quickly, while it took me a while to stop thinking about my future; the experience Seth and I would have when we made the three children; the thrill of it was not hard to imagine. It dominated my dreams, too. That just grossed me out. Thank goodness Seth couldn't read my thoughts.

And then I felt sorry for Edward.


	8. I'm Dead Without Their Help

"The plan is simple. I'll stand in the middle of some big field, we lure them there with me as bait, and then you guys sneak up behind them and kill them," I pitched. That was my best idea. Seth didn't approve of it. Emmett had just shrugged his shoulders.

"I like that. It's all like, stealthy sneak-up and BAM! They're dead," he grinned. I sighed.

"The only problem is that…they'll probably have scouts and stuff. They'll hear us or something, and then they'll split up and ignore me standing out there in the open," I pointed out. There was a low rumbling in Seth's chest, and his arms were shaking with the tremors pulsing through his body.

He was standing not anywhere near me. I was on the couch, and so were Bella, Jacob, and Renesmee. Seth was near the stair railing, leaning against the wall beside it.

"They might not. If you're the objective, Eliza, they'll focus on you," Edward shrugged.

"Yeah, but they'll probably smell wolf from a mile away," I teased, grinning at Jacob and then Seth. Seth didn't grin back like Jacob did. He walked over, held out his hand to me, and when I took it he lifted me up off the couch.

"I need to talk to you," he mumbled under his breath.

I looked around the room, all eyes on us. When I turned my gaze back to Seth, he still had a look of distress on his face.

"Not now, Seth… we need to get this plan all prepared by the time they come," I sighed, pulling away from him and returning to the couch.

"So where were we? Oh yeah, the sneaking up thing," I mumbled, remembering the previous conversation in my head.

Alice took a step forward and lithely folded herself down on the floor in front of the couch. Jasper joined her.

"I've got a better plan," she announced in her pretty-bell-like voice.

We all looked to her. Jasper sat beside her, leaning back on his hands.

"We should just call the Volturi," she shrugged simply.

All of our eyes kind of looked like they were bugging out of our heads.

"Of course!" exclaimed Carlisle. "Because if they show up at exactly the right time, they will see a coven of fifteen, not many separate covens coming together as allies!" he concluded.

I blushed. That was way simpler than my idea.

"Yes. I can always contact the Volturi and tell them we have a crisis on hand. They'll come as fast as their robed-butts will carry them. We just need it to be perfectly planned. Eliza," she looked at me "how much time do we have?"

I looked at the timer. "A little less than twenty-five hours," I told her gravely.

Alice leapt to her feet.

"So anyone objecting to my plan?" she asked, looking around. A couple people shook their heads while others just stood as still and motionless as stone. "Good. Then I'll go make the call." She strode off gracefully.

As I stood, Seth's arms were around me instantly.

"Good. There, we have a plan that doesn't involve you using yourself as bait. Less work for me," he mumbled into my neck. I was a little distracted, and blushed when a couple eyes were on us.

"Seth. Not here," I mumbled, and he groaned, taking my hand and rushing me outside to a bit oak. We stood behind it and, quite literally, made out.

When we broke apart, he was grinning his Seth-ish grin. His arms coiled around my waist and I smiled.

"We still might have to fight," I murmured. He scoffed.

"You're not fighting anything. We'll fight. As in, Jacob's pack and the Cullens," he corrected me. I rolled my eyes.

"I can't just sit there and do nothing!" I protested. He bent down and pecked my lips.

"Yeah. You can. And then we'll live happily ever after like normal people do," he stated very matter-of-factly. I rolled my eyes with a playful smirk.

"Ha! 'Normal people'. Yes. I'll be the once-hunted-by-vampires girl and you'll be my werewolf-boyfriend," I giggled.

"…or more, someday," he murmured. I held my breath to prevent a little sigh of happiness. I wished this was true… I didn't say this out loud.

"I know what I'll do – I'll stand with my arms thrown up in the air and shout 'come and get me!' and then they will, and the Volturi will be there to snag them," I changed the subject back. He groaned, pressing me up against the tree with his hands on either side of my head. He stared me intently in the eyes.

"You won't have to do anything! UGH! Are you just looking to get yourself into some danger?" he snarled. I rolled my eyes, not nearly affected by his vicious attitude.

"I thought you'd want to kick some vampire butt. Especially Aaron, 'cause we all know he'll be the first one to find –"

"No! No way! C'mon, you can't just think you'll convince me like that!" he whined, kissing my forehead. But his lips quickly left mine and he was glaring. "Aaron…" he spat the name to our side, and I knew that vile creature stood no chance against my brave, angry werewolf boyfriend if they came face to face in twenty-four hours; and counting, still…

"Yep. He'll be the first one you can get rid of if I'm out there in the fields," I tempted, playing with him. He looked back at me and I grinned.

We stared at each other, me with a goofy smile and him with a very intense glare.

Suddenly his eyes widened and he jerked back a moment. "No! Man, Eliza, don't do that!" he complained.

"Why, what ever are you talking about, Seth?" I asked, playing dumb. I sucked at it too because Seth huffed and held my hand, and we began strolling down into the forest. Just an average walk; probably the closest thing we could get as a normal couple activity. You know…strolling hand in hand, me leaning into his side, us whispering to each other, us in love.

"You aren't going to stick yourself in a field surrounded by Volturiandyour Hunters. As your boyfriend I can't allow it," he told me with great pride in his voice when he said the word "boyfriend." I stopped him in our tracks and kissed him lightly. We were both breathless again, and I staggered the first few steps as we continued walking. Seth just laughed at me while I did this.

"As my boyfriend, you should respect my opinions and trust me," I countered, and he cringed.

"Crap. Well, I still don't think it's smart," he pouted. I sighed, leaning into his arm more. His arm was around my shoulders now and I was leaning into his chest, clutching his side.

"You don't have to think it's smart. Honestly, I think the idea is stupid too. I'm no where near ready to die," I admitted, shivering slightly. Seth pulled me closer.

"Then shut up and listen:" he began, stopping us and grabbing my shoulders firmly but tenderly in his hands. He looked me deeply in the eyes, and there was no way I could joke and get us out of the tension until he was finished. "I. Won't. Let. You. Go. I refuse to let you put yourself in danger. I will kill for you, Eliza. I really will," he said firmly. I blushed.

"That's sweet, but-!"

"No buts! No more buts, Eliza! I don't want to hear them! I've said what's going to happen. You'll be safe in the house while we're working our butts off to get rid of these pests. Even if it means calling the Volturi, and – saying they don't get here in time – even if it means fighting them off with my bare hands to keep them away from you," he told me with conviction.

"Technically…you'll be on your paws," I mumbled. He groaned, pulling me into his arms.

"Not the point, Eliza!" he moaned agonizingly.

"Just saying," I mumbled into his chest. He was stroking my hair now, his cheek resting on the top of my head. My lips barely reached his shoulder.

"Mm. Sure. So what are we going to do? I'm not going to fight with you, but we clearly have different opinions on what we should do," he sighed.

"We'll make something up," I said quickly.

"I mean seriously." And I could hear the seriousness in his tone.

I blushed.

"Okay then…well… The safest place I'll be is with you, right?"

He nodded.

"Well what if we, very kindly, ask the others to help fight off the others…and you and I will somehow sneak off somewhere else. Aaron's going to go straight for me; he won't be distracted by the fight. I'll lure him to some dark part of the forest, and you'll be circling around the area so that it doesn't look too suspicious, and when he comes, you've gotta come at exactly the right time to attack him," I offered.

Seth's eyes widened.

"So I can stay with you and kill Aaron?" he beamed.

I found a flaw in my plan.

"Okay, I just thought of something… what if you can't handle taking down Aaron? He's not a newborn…he's stronger…" I murmured.

Seth scoffed.

"I'm insulted! How can you think that I can't take down this butthead?" he grinned.

I blushed.

"I'm sorry…I'm just concerned. I'd hate if you got hurt," I mumbled.

"Then we have Leah stay with us. She'll hate it if I tell her the plan anyways. She'll have to come with us," he observed.

I felt a chill of fear rush through me.

"But Leah hates me. She wants me dead because you imprinted on me. You saw how willing she was to take me to the airport so that I could go to my Hunters and die!" I cried out. I was in his arms again, but we were sitting down and I was cradled in his lap. I wrapped my arms around his neck, leaning my cheek against his shoulder.

"She's all talk. I mean, she may not like you, but it'd kill her to see me upset. And just to tell you, I'd definitely be upset if you died," he told me softly. I blushed, snuggling against him. He nuzzled my shoulder affectionately, and kissed my cheek. I kind of felt like a wolf right now. It was one of those moments that reminded me of seeing a pair of wolves, mates obviously, nuzzling each other affectionately. Try and picture that in your head; you've all seen the tapes. Yeah. That's how I kind of felt.

I told this to Seth and he laughed, growling playfully and nuzzling me again. I giggled, a little amused by his "friskiness."

We had shifted positions so that now I was lying on the grass, Seth hovering over me on his hands and knees. He was nuzzling my neck again, still imitating a wolf-y thing, and I was stroking his back.

"So that's the plan? We ask them if it's okay with them. I feel really guilty about making them fight my own battles," I mumbled. Seth took his face from my neck and was looking down at me intently.

"Hm. Well I think Emmett doesn't mind the fighting. And whether you believe it or not, they do consider you family. 'Specially Bella. Even if she doesn't act like it sometimes. It's true. Mom and Charlie are getting kind of close," Seth explained as he shuddered. We both chuckled.

"So…you…me…and Leah? Will she be willing to help fight off Aaron? I'm scared…" I told him.

"Don't be. Leah'll help. I just need to convince Jake it's cool, and she'll listen to what Jake says. And I love you, Eliza,don't forget it. I wouldn't let even my sister hurt you," he said. I forced a smile. He kissed me and it became a real smile.

We got back to the Cullens' house and walked inside. Alice was there, sitting on the couch, like she was expecting us as we walked through the door.

"You're really indecisive, Eliza. I couldn't figure it out at first, but then I got it. And…then I lost you again when Seth came into the picture," she sighed. "What's going on? What's your plan that's so separate from my plan?" she frowned.

I shrugged.

"You're all going to hate me for it," I warned her. She rolled her eyes, dancing over to us.

"I doubt. Let's hear it," she said cheerfully, holding out her hand to me. When I grabbed it, Seth grabbed my hand. It was like a little train of people. I nearly giggled at the thought as Alice sat down, then I sat down, and then Seth sat down on the couch. I leaned into him, hugging his arm tightly to my chest.

"Well…we were wondering if…you, er, the Cullens could deal with the Volturi and the rest of the Hunters while, uh…While Seth, Leah, and I take down, uh… one…in particular…" I mumbled. Alice stared at me with shock. "Yeah…" I blushed. "It sounded smarter when I was talking to Seth about it. You know how things are when suddenly your head gets all cloudy and uh, er…never mind," I mumbled, and I heard Seth chuckle and nudge me in the side with his elbow.

Alice looked away, and when she looked back at us, Jasper, Carlisle, Edward, and Jacob were standing by her. Oh geez… all the guys. And Jasper being the trained, military-educated in strategy and stuff guy, I knew this plan wouldn't work. When I glanced at Seth, I saw a look in his eyes that said that he knew this too.

"Um…yeah, Eliza… I understand that you and Seth want to stick together-"

"But we need Seth out there. We're not even sure if we're getting Sam's support! We need the backup, man, worry about your lady later," Jacob interrupted, scowling. Seth pulled me into his chest.

"If this was Renesmee in this situation, you'd be just as protective," Seth shot back.

"Seth-" I tugged at his arm, realizing how this would set off the protective father.

"Renesmee is different, Jacob. There's no way we can lose her. This entire family would put in their best; Jacob's pack would too; and Sam because Renesmee is technically part of their family as well. Don't get all snappy," Edward snarled. Seth didn't shrink this time like I did.

"How can you say that in front of Eliza? You're saying that she's not important enough; that if it wasn't for my future ties with Bella's father and my mom, that you'd just leave her out to die; that she wouldn't be your problem," he observed in my defense. I looked away from Edward, afraid of his furious reaction. It hurt even more to hear Seth say it, but I understood. I was too comfortable; too used to being around this family. I was overly-comfortable. I should have expected this, which I did, but it hurt still.

Edward just…sighed.

"Seth, don't be so irrational. Eliza is…just as important as Renesmee," he struggled to say. His hesitation just proved to all of us what he said was a complete lie. I began to stand up.

"Um, you know what, it's okay. Really, I'll live. You guys don't have to bother-" I began, but Seth pulled me back down. This was just awkward now.

"You just hit Edward's soft spot, that's all. He doesn't really mean all the grumpy stuff he's saying right now…" Alice tried to comfort me. I knew she was lying too. Seth's body had begun to tremble. I rested a very gentle hand on his lap and told him to calm down.

"Sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up." Seth's tone was very curt, very short; like he was really struggling to keep his temper controlled.

"Kid, step outside for a moment," Jake told him. Seth suddenly cringed. I don't know what it was that Jacob said, or if it was his tone or something, but Seth immediately stood up, his shoulders slumped, and walked outside at a human pace. I felt a little alone in the room.

"So…forget I even mentioned that. Actually, maybe we should just forget the whole-"

"Eliza, give us a moment. I think we should just go with our original plan. You'll meet them in the clearing, well you'll lure them there, and then the Volturi will come to investigate my rumor I sent to them about a coven of fifteen. Aro likes me, so I'll gladly stand by you and I'm sure Bella will too unless she wants to stay with Renesmee. She's got a pretty cool gift, too. Anyways, we'll be watching out for you. The Hunters will be there, and we'll stall if they get there a little before the Volturi do, and then when Aro and the others see the coven of fifteen, they'll probably choose to eliminate them. In case your Hunters try to fight or run, or something happens so that the Volturi do not think they are dangerous, I'll keep in touch with the others – who'll be staying home – and I'm sure Seth'll be keeping a good ear out for any problems. The only issue with this is that Jacob" she looked over at Jacob "and his pack will have to take extra precautions on watching each other's backs, in case Karina thought the werewolves were such a threat that she'll have warned Vincent to keep some scouts circling the area in case. What do you think?" She was finished.

I was a little amazed at how calmly and smoothly she handed out this explanation without any stutters or stops for breath; although I knew it was because she didn't technically have to breathe.

"Um…Alice, only if it's okay with you and Bella," I asked.

She smiled, kissing me on the cheek.

"Of course it's okay! I'm perfectly fine with it," Alice said with a smile. I didn't bother glancing at the men in the background. Jacob and Edward were probably still scowling at me, Jasper was probably trying not to scowl at me…and I think Carlisle had a lifeless expression on his face. He probably felt the same way as Jacob and Edward, although he was too kind and compassionate to admit it.

"Do…you mind if…?" I didn't have to finish it. I knew Alice could understand what I meant. I wanted to be with the one person who really loved me…who could probably make me not feel like an inconsiderate, selfish, pain in the $$.

Still no comment from Edward.

I got up after hugging Alice, and was walking to the door. I opened it, and just then, I heard Jasper whisper,

"She's sad."

I closed the door behind me.


	9. This Might Be The Last Day

Seth was outside, pacing back and forth; or should I say…wolf-Seth. He had transformed and I assumed it was out of anger. I exhaled deeply and he finally looked up. There was a twinkle of expectation in his eyes and I rolled mine at the ground.

"Well that was just extremely awkward," I mumbled under my breath, running my hands through my hair as I walked down to him. He was still shifting awkwardly on his paws, whining.

"Sorry I'm a magnet for drama," I mumbled to him as I reached out and stroked his nose. He whined again, leaning into my touch. "I know. Thanks for being so nice," I smiled, kissing his nose. He whimpered and I kissed his nose again. Now his tongue lolled out of his mouth and I could see a smile on his face.

"Need some pants?" I asked him. His giant head nodded. I giggled, and tiptoed into the house. Everyone was gone. Either they went off somewhere else, or they hid somewhere. Locating his pants quickly, I was back to him in an instant, finding that he was waiting for me patiently in his wolf-form. I tossed the clothes at him and he snatched them out of the air, careful not to puncture holes in the fabric with his sharp fangs.

He trotted behind a cluster of trees, transformed back, slipped his clothes on, and came back to me dressed; well almost fully dressed…shirts weren't usually commonly found in werewolf packs… His arms quickly and unexpectedly flew around me and pulled me into an iron-bear-hug. I gasped for breath and struggled to pull away. When he finally did set me back on the ground, there was distress in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"'bout what?"

"'bout keeping you here…It'd probably be safer in La Push. They wouldn't mind us being there; and they'd love kicking some vampire butt," he explained. I rolled my eyes.

"I should be saying sorry! I'm sorry I came," I mumbled, and gasped as he pulled me into another bear-hug.

"Don't be sorry!" he whined, and I felt myself being lifted up into the air and twirled around in a circle. I felt like I was in one of those sappy, princess and prince fall in love, movies. I blushed at the thought. When Seth set me back down, the blood gradually resumed circulating throughout my body.

I twined my arms around his neck, staring him seriously in the eyes.

"I wouldn't have gotten you into all this mess. You and Jacob's pack, and Sam's pack, and the Cullens," I sighed. He _huffed_ again and kissed my cheek tenderly.

Seth snorted.

"I'd find you sooner or later, you know?" he grinned. I smiled, leaning my head against his shoulder.

"I'm glad," I murmured.

We stood in silence for just a little while. I held him and he held me, and I couldn't help but feel the loving warmth between the two of us.

Finally the silence was broken: "So is there any chance I could still see La Push before my impending doom?" I asked him, trying to sound as nonchalant about my death as possible. There was a low rumbling in his chest and I rubbed his back to try and calm him down a bit. It worked. He took a few deep breaths and then he was fine.

"Ignoring the last part," he began in a very dark and solemn tone. "Yeah, sure! Why not? I mean, I'm sure Sam wouldn't mind. If he did, my mom would probably kick his butt," he finished in a much lighter, Seth-like, cheery tone. I smiled back at him, just widening his smile when I kissed him fully on the mouth.

Seth asked Jacob first, who was very kind enough – he must've been in a better mood all of a sudden – to agree, to ask Sam; since the Alphas in the pack were the only wolves of separate packs that were allowed to communicate "telepathically." Same said, through Jacob, that we were allowed. Seth was very happy to hear this, considering it had been a while since he had spoken to his mother, Sue Clearwater.

We were walking hand-in-hand toward the territorial border of La Push. It was nice doing this, but soon enough I knew Seth would get a bit impatient and – in the kindest, most polite way that is verbally possible – ask if he could carry me the rest of the way; the rest of the way to the border and then through the residential area of La Push to the beach. I'd never been to First Beach before, and was quite excited.

"It's really beautiful at sunset, Eliza! We should stay and see it! Um, but only if that's alright with you," he inquired.

I smiled and shrugged my shoulders. "Why'd I have a problem with it? I love the beach! Well, uh, except for the part where sand gets in some places where, er…you get what I mean," I mumbled the end with embarrassment. I seemed to talk way too much around Seth. Gosh, how stereotypical was that!

He laughed.

"Yeah, I get it. We might be there for a couple hours if you want to see the sunset, s'that okay?"

I nodded.

"That's fine with me."

"Cool. Hey, uh…"

He stopped us and turned to face me. I smiled up at him and he blushed down at me.

"I'm really anxious to see Mom again, but I don't want to rush you or anything…if you want to walk it's alright, but-"

"Naw, it's fine with me. Uck, stop being so polite!" I teased him, nudging his side with my elbow. He swayed to the side and then straightened back up, nudging me with his own elbow. We laughed until I was flung safely on to his back and held him for dear life as he burst into his inhuman sprint.

I absolutely loved the thrill of the wind rushing around us; through every crack of space left between us; sculpting around our bodies as Seth ran. It was chilly but hard to dislike because it was so calming at the same time. Seth's pulse was the only thing I could hear right now. My face was buried in his neck. I wondered if he minded or not, my warm breath against his skin. It might feel cold to him, against his burning skin. I remembered Seth telling me something, like, he ran a temperature of 107° F or something…yeah, that hot.

I was introduced to Sue Clearwater, Seth and Leah's mom, who was at her house reading when we arrived (apparently this was surprising to Seth because she was usually at Charlie Swan's house). She greeted me with a cold, distant smile. Her eyes never left Seth. She had that look of warning on her face whenever she glanced over at me.

"She doesn't like me," I observed.

We were standing in the shallow area of the waters. My sweatpants were rolled up to my ankles so that they didn't get too wet when the waves receded and then pressed forward, crashing into our legs. On numerous occasions, I had to hold on to Seth's shoulder so that I wouldn't get knocked over.

"That's not true," Seth said hesitantly. I knew he was lying.

"Lots of people don't like me. I'm guessing your mom doesn't 'cause you imprinted on me," I assumed, whispering the word "imprint."

Seth sighed.

"Does it really matter what other people think? Sure, it gets _kinda_ annoying sometimes, but why should we care?" he mumbled, wrapping his arms around my shoulders.

"'Cause…y'know how you were talking about the whole, 'our future' thing? Well…so was I and…" I took a deep breath. "If - and strictly _if_ - I stay…I think it'd be nice if I had a few friends other than you, Bella, and Alice. Not to sound greedy or anything, but you get my gist," I explained.

"Yeah. That'd be cool. But y'know, they'll all lighten up once your Hunters are gone," he shrugged.

"So you're okay with the plan?" I looked up at him questionably.

He shrugged his shoulders, his brows knitting together in a very cute scowl.

"I'd be happier if you lured Aaron away in particular just so I could kill him," he admitted.

"But they'd come after me anyways, you know that. That's the whole reason they'd be here; to kill me. I doubt Aaron would be the only one who wasn't distracted by the Cullens. I just hope Alice will get the Volturi over here in time," I sighed, rubbing his chest.

"Yeah…but…" he trailed off. There was no way he could maneuver around my counter-reply. His scowl didn't go away yet.

"'But' nothing. I'll be _fine_. I promise. I'll be with Bella and Alice. They won't let the Volturi hurt me," I shrugged.

"Assuming the Volturi get there and choose to rid of your Hunters first before going after you," he mentioned. I rolled my eyes.

"Be happy. And thanks for the optimism on my safety." My tone had very thick sarcasm to it.

"I'm sorry, I'm just _saying_. I'm trying to tell you all the possibilities. It's kind of hard, y'know. There're a few good things and a few flaws too. For one, the Volturi _plus_ another fifteen vampires? I dunno, Eliza," he said with much uncertainty.

"Well the Volturi are supposed to be the good guys," I reminded him. He rolled his eyes.

"The only vampires I consider 'good-guys' are the Cullens," he told me. I set my head against his chest and smiled at the warmth.

"You get what I mean. I'll be fine. I promise you," I said firmly.

"Wanna bet on it?" Seth suggested quickly. He had a wide grin on his face.

I frowned.

"Bet what?"

"I can bet you that something's going to happen and you're gonna get hurt."

I frowned. He was so pessimistic; like he knew he wouldn't be able to protect me or something. I wasn't so worried about my death as long as Seth was safe and healthy and happy.

"Fine. What's at stake?"

Who knows? This could be fun.

He thought about it for a moment, rocking me from side to side while he thought.

"If you stay out of trouble the entire time your Hunters are here… then I'll owe you my soul," he began and I giggled. He ignored this, staring into my eyes deeply as he thought again. "But if you get hurt or injured or anything _at all_, then…" he trailed off as he thought. He began rocking me from side to side again and I rested my head back against his chest.

"I'll give you my heart _and_ soul. I'll show you how much I love you in the best way that I can," I finished for him. He looked down at me, astonished, his eyes wide. "That's my offer…but you can change it if you want," I added in a mumble. Seth suddenly scowled.

"Mm… you make my offer sound like crap compared to yours," he pouted. I scoffed, a smile playing across my face and soon his. I held his face in my hands and kissed him lightly. It was a very timid, relaxed, Seth-like kiss.

"I'm sorry?" I giggled.

"You better be," he mumbled through my lips. His hot breath warmed my face as it blew against me.

"Can I do something to make it better?" I breathed after pulling away. My hands were rested on his chest now, my head against his collarbone. His arms remained snaked around my waist; surprisingly petite compared to his.

"Make your offer not so…tempting," he grumbled.

I blushed.

"Why?"

"'Cause otherwise I'll _want_ to get you hurt," he threatened. A delighted, startled, and yet all at the same time scared gasp came from me next.

"Ouch!" I teased, but the expression of pain and agony on Seth's face totally wiped away my attempt to joke around. "Hey, what's up?" I placed a hand on his cheek and he leaned into my touch. My voice was full of concern. Seth just grinned at me.

"Nothin'," he shrugged. I looked at him skeptically and he blushed. "Seriously! Nothing's 'up'!" he exclaimed, raising his hands in defense. The next wave that hit us nearly knocked me down; it wouldn't have if Seth's arms were around me at the moment. But I caught myself in due time, before I dragged the both of us down into the salty water.

We rocked back and forth in silence for a while, until I opened my mouth again to speak-

"So why not _your_ heart?"

Seth stared down at me with confusion.

"Hm?"

I nodded.

"Yeah. Why not your heart?" I tried to put on the best façade of disappointment and hurt.

Seth panicked for a second as he tried to put together what I was saying. Then his eyes widened, and then abruptly softened. A little warm smile snuck across his lips and he kissed me gently with it.

"You mean why I didn't offer my _heart and_ soul?"

I nodded. "'Cause then your offer won't be crap compared to mine. It'd be the same," I mumbled in a tiny voice, with a very tiny grin.

Seth just chuckled and while my hands returned to his chest, he drew his up to my face. It wasn't the most stable thing considering the waves were getting a bit more violent, but the way he held my face was secure and gentle all at the same time. He brought his face just an inch or so from mine. One slightly movement and our lips would collide. I liked to think of that.

His eyes bore into mine, his sweet breath knocking every last trace of common sense from me.

"Because you already have my heart, Eliza."

And _my_ heart totally stopped. It sputtered a bit before restarting, but when it did, it just stopped _all over again_ when Seth pressed his lips to mine.

"You have ever since the moment I laid eyes on you," he moaned, pressing his lips even more firmly against mine. This was our second passionate kiss. Unlike the first, still. His tongue traced along my lips and then twined with mine, and before I knew it, my arms were around his neck and he had lifted me up against his waist. We were, or should I say he was, suddenly walking out of the water, and he laid me down on a beach towel we borrowed from his mom's house.

When we broke apart, I was gasping for air. Seth's breathing was fine, but the color of his face was another story. Across his usually-tan cheeks was a very thick layer of tomato-red. He was blushing more than I had ever seen him blush. Consequentially, this just made me blush.

I opened my mouth to speak, but suddenly he rolled off and was beside me; sitting next to me, his hands clutching the sides of his head.

"Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" he apologized, smacking himself on the head. "Doh! You're so stupid, Seth! So stupid!" He growled at himself in a harsh whisper. I waited for him to calm down and then I placed a hand on his shoulder.

He looked at me when I said his name.

"It's fine, Seth. I liked it. It was pretty romantic, y'know?" I assured him. He grumbled something under his breath.

"That was too forward," he said. I scoffed. I had snapped.

"What_ever_! I don't care, Seth! Are you seriously upset because you kissed your girlfriend?" I groaned frustratingly.

He blushed, and now it was his turn to wait while I calmed down. I did, taking slow and deep breaths.

"You don't mind if I kiss you like that?" he asked sheepishly. I blushed down, leaning toward him and closing my eyes. He did the same, and we kissed just like moments before.

When we broke part, I was being held in his arms.

"C'mon. Let's get back home. We've got a big day tomorrow, huh?" Seth whispered into my ear as he picked me up. We dried off our legs and I slipped my shoes back on. We walked back toward Sue Clearwater's house was, and then Seth picked me up and he ran back to the Cullens.

We were outside when we went to sleep. I had showered and put on a whole new pair of clothes. I mean, there is some logic in that; say the vampires came in the middle of the night? I wasn't about to run a couple miles in my pajamas!

I pulled a blanket over me and snuggled up against Seth's warm fur. Sighing happily, I closed my eyes. Seth's head was beside me and he was constantly bugging me by poking me with his nose.

"Ack! Seth, stop!" I complained, and I heard a little wheezy snicker coming from my wolfy-boyfriend.

"You're not a very nice werewolf. Big bully," I teased, punching his hide. He whined, nudging me with his nose again. "Ugh, c'mon Seth! We need to sleep! It's gonna be a long day tomorrow. Hey, wake me up when you do, okay?"

He whimpered, and I kissed his nose.

"Okay?" I asked again. _Now_ he nodded his head with a big grin. I sighed exhaustedly and rested my head back on his shoulder. He curled up around me and we both fell asleep.

So that was it. Tomorrow I would die. Tomorrow I would meet Vincent and Aaron and the others in the fields and they would kill me. Then the Volturi would come and hopefully destroy them all. Or maybe it would go the other way around. Maybe they wouldn't kill me. Maybe the Volturi would show up early and help the Cullens and the werewolf packs kill my Hunters, and _then_ the _Volturi_ would kill me. Either way, I would die; either way I would be out there. And I would die _for_ Seth. For Seth's safety and for the safety of the Cullens. Sure…I could live with that…or die with that, if you want to take it literally.

The tension was building, growing, about the burst. We were in the big meadow that Alice and Bella had brought me to. Seth was in wolf form, and no matter how much I tried to convince him that he wasn't supposed to be there, he wouldn't leave my side; not until my Hunters' scents or the Volturi's were in a mile or so distance of the meadow.

Alice and Bella were by my side. Seth was pacing back and forth, whining, his ears drawn back to press against his skull. It was a nice day; not too warm and not too hot. I thought it was nice out. _Yeah, a nice day to die_, I thought bitterly. Bella's look of concern caught my attention.

"Bella… you can return to Renesmee and Edward y'know," I mumbled. She frowned and was about to open her mouth when I continued, "It's alright. I can take care of myself. I'll run if I have to."

Bella shook her head. "You can't outrun a vampire, Eliza," she reminded me.

I nodded.

"I know. But…you look so worried. And I understand, 'cause y'know, Renesmee and Edward…they're like your own personal 'Seth'," I told her. She smiled, and Seth was suddenly by my side, his tongue rolled out of his mouth and a little smile on his face. He lowered his muzzle into my reach and I wrapped my arms around it.

The little purring had come back. I giggled.

"You really wouldn't mind, Eliza?" Bella asked. I shook my head absently, my eyes closed as I inhaled wolf-Seth's own unique woodsy aroma. I let go of Seth for a moment so that I could hug Bella. She zoomed off after that, and my arms were back around Seth's huge muzzle.

There was silence. The wind whistled by us and the sun was just barely hidden behind the clouds. My upper body was clad in a three-quarter sleeved white-and-teal-striped shirt, and my lower body in jeans. No matter how perfect the weather, I was cold inside.

"Hey, uh… Eliza?" Alice's voice snapped me out of my epiphany. She had a nervous look on her face. "I didn't want to mention this before, but, uh…you know I can't use my gift when I'm around werewolves so do you…maybe…think it's alright-"

"If Seth goes now?" I finished for her. Seth let out a tiny yowl of agony. I shushed him down with a stroke of his long nose.

"Yeah…" Alice mumbled, shuffling her feet and staring at the ground.

I turned to Seth. The look in my eyes said what needed to be done, and the look in Seth's eyes said he clearly did not want to obey.

"Seth…you've gotta go. We need to know when the Volturi and when my Hunters are coming… for that, we need Alice and…for Alice to see her visions…you have to go. Anyways, you said you'd go along with this plan. I'll be fine. I'll prove it to you by owning your soul by the end of the day," I said proudly. Seth snorted; there was a very serious, un-Seth-like look in his eyes. He was frowning; I could tell by the way his eyes were a little closer and his forehead had creased. It softened when his stern look met my expression that mimicked his.

He whimpered, nuzzling my cheek; which was miniscule compared to the size of his cheek. I patted his muzzle again, kissing his nose. Seth turned around and took a few strides away; in this case, three of his strides closed about forty feet. He looked back and I could see the corner of his lip as he tried to smile. It twitched, and then he released a low keen again.

I forced a smile back at him. "Love you more," I called to him. He took another step away, his eyes never leaving mine. "Go on, now. I'll be fine!" I assured him.

Seth loped back into the forest. Parting was such sweet sorrow.

I looked back at Alice. She was sitting on the ground, and I came to sit next to her.

"Better?" I asked quietly, resting a hand on her fashionably-clad shoulder. She nodded, rubbing her temples.

"They're really close by. I'll estimate probably ten more minutes," she breathed.

"Who is 'them'?"

She looked at me.

"Your Hunters."


	10. 103rd Time But Who's Counting?

Great! So the Volturi _were_ coming late! Which means we would actually have to fight. It made me feel even worse. I whimpered, curling up into a ball.

"...Alice, what do you see happening?" I asked her. She chewed on her lower lip.

"… I see us fighting… and…" she looked away.

"What? What, Alice? Tell me, please!" I cried, tugging on her sleeve like a little child. "W-Who gets hurt?"

She looked back at me. "None of my family."

"But…? Oh, Alice, just tell me! Wait!" I gasped, my gaze darting in the direction that Seth had run off in. "Oh Alice! Is it Seth? Does he get hurt?" I cried. I was quite literally sobbing now.

Alice sighed.

"No one dies, Eliza," she assured me. I could breathe again. But when her head did a little jerk and her eyes fluttered behind her eyelids, I could tell she was having another vision.

"Oh….Eliza, don't do that…" she murmured, and her eyes shot open. I was staring at her with horror.

"What'd I do?"

She hesitated.

Alice placed her hands on my shoulders.

"What ever you do, Eliza, _don't_ separate from the group. The others will be here momentarily. Bella is probably staying back at the house with either Esme or Edward to protect Renesmee in case some of your Hunters find a stray path of your scent to our house. Everyone else will be here. Em is psyched," she laughed the last part.

"Why would I separate from-!"

Alice held up a hand and leapt to her feet. I did it, although my less gracefully than she did. Carlisle, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, and Esme were there. Esme ran over and hugged me.

"Thanks so much…I owe you guys my life," I whispered to her, knowing the others could hear as well.

"You're part of our family, sweetie."

"I'm glad Edward stayed back with Bella and Renesmee, though," I told her. Esme pulled back to look at me in the eyes.

"Why is that?"

"Because I didn't want him to feel forced to fight for a cause that he'd rather not fight for," I mumbled. Esme pulled me into another bone-crushing hug.

"Don't think that, sweetie," she cooed.

"I-I'm sorry…I'm just a little nervous…a little anxious…." I mumbled, and my eyes widened as all those feelings of anxiety and fear was wiped away. I plopped myself on the ground in surprise, staring incredulously up at Jasper. Although it wasn't surprising to me that he could do this, it just felt a little weird. "And now I'm not…" I mumbled.

Esme and Carlisle chuckled. Jasper grinned when I breathed a "thank-you."

"Three minutes… Carlisle, what are the wolves doing?" Alice turned to her adopted-father.

"Sam's pack is less reluctant to fight than Jacob's pack is. They're ready just outside the La Push border to fight whenever they're needed. I arranged with Seth to give them the signal with a howl. Jacob is hesitant to leave Renesmee's side, but he knows better than to stay while he could fight for her protection instead," he stopped and chuckled. "He, Leah, Embry and Quil are running perimeters of different lengths," he finished.

"They'll walk into the meadow from the southeast corner and from the north. They'll be coming at a more human walking speed, but once they smell our scents, they'll probably be a little hesitant," Alice informed us.

"That's okay. I'll shout for them to bring it on. We'll see who comes then," Emmett shrugged. Rosalie flicked his shoulder and he pretended to wince. He was wearing a tight black shirt that flaunted his muscles that coiled around his thick arms. He looked really intimidating, especially when he began fooling around; standing in a boxer pose with his hands up in front of his face, throwing violent, cobra-fast striking punches at the air in front of him. He was even doing that little leap-y thing that the boxers did. There was a fierce, but still Emmett-ish, look on his face.

"Less than a minute," Alice mumbled. My hands rolled into fists, my jaw clenched. Then suddenly I sighed, calmness overwhelming me.

"Jasper, just let me be a _little_ nervous," I requested. He nodded, and my anxiety returned. It was good to be prepared. I thought about how hard it would be to run if I had to, if I was so calm and serene.

"How's Seth…can any of you tell?" I asked around. They all shook their head. Esme put a motherly-hand on my shoulder.

"He'll be perfectly fine, Eliza," she told me. I took a deep breath and nodded.

"Alright…" I mumbled.

All heads suddenly shot toward one direction, and then the next…and I knew they were here.

In the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of familiar red hair, flamboyant and spiked up; and the malevolently grinning face that went with the hair. Aaron.

Aside Aaron was the true leader of my Hunters, Vincent. He matched Emmett in size. Actually, he could possibly a big bigger than Emmett. On other ends of the meadow came the others, in front of them Karina.

"I'd just like to say one last time how terribly sorry I am to have-"

"LET'S KICK SOME ASS!" Emmett roared, and everyone around me before a blur. The figures were there and then gone, and then there again, and Alice screamed for me to duck. I dropped to the ground and watched as two blurs flew over my head. Emmett was beating the hell out of one vampire. They were outnumbered and my heart was racing.

Then as I scrambled on to my feet, eight large wolves of a myriad of colors bounded into the meadow. They were led by one big black male, and I knew it must have been Sam. _Now_ they had the advantage.

Just when I turned to see if Seth was there, two cold hands found my shoulders. My breathing stopped as I inhaled the uncomfortable smell of spice that always seemed to linger on Aaron's skin.

"Mmm…long time no see, sweetheart. I see you've found some fr-!"

But the weight on my shoulders was suddenly lifted as a ferocious chocolate brown wolf threw down my assassin.

"Thanks Quil," I breathed as I took off in a sprint.

I was not nearly halfway toward the forest when an earsplitting shriek erupted above all other shouts. A hand of one vampire flew over my head and an ear just barely missed my shoulder. I turned toward the direction of the flying body parents and saw Rosalie on top of a non-moving vampire, ripping at him or her violently.

"DAMN YOU! .! I'M A VAMPIRE YOU-" bad word "-NAILS DON'T" bad word "GROW BACK! AUGHHHH!"

If it weren't for my current predicament, I would have been on the grass rolling around in hysteria of laughter. Poor Rosalie… I understood her pain. I mean seriously – how do you file down your other stone-strong nails to match the one that had chipped? It's a girl thing…

I felt like my legs were going to give out. I reached the forest without, surprisingly, running into any of my vampire friends.

_Stupid girl! Alice told you to stay with the others! Go back to the meadow!_ One part of me said.

_No! Dammit, you have to find Seth! He wasn't in the meadow, Eliza! Keep running! Call for him!_ The other side said.

_No! You call, and they'll hear! They'll come after you!_

_But you must find him!_

The voices in my head went on like that for a while. My feet were so sore and I knew my lungs were about to shrivel up and fall off. I was whimpering and wheezing as I kept running, but at least I wasn't sweating…yet. I tripped once, skinning my palms. After wiping the dirt out of the cuts while I jogged, I broke back into a sprint.

My heart was thrumming too loud for me to comprehend. If I didn't find Seth soon I would most definitely keel over and die from a heart attack or something.

I leapt over a broken tree; or at least I tried to. My shoelace caught on a stray branch and I tripped and tumbled into a little clearing. I began to cry. They were going to find me and they were going to kill him. Oh Seth…

There was rustling in the bushes and I brought my head up from my lap. I was curled up in a ball on my knees, my face low in my lap and my hands covering my neck; like the way I remember I would practice tornado drills at my school before…before I was activated.

"Wh-who is it?" I whimpered, standing. The rustle came again and I covered my mouth. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to speak. I heard a whimper and I smiled.

"Seth!" I breathed. A giant paw stepped out of the foliage…and then another…and then a giant head…

I smiled when I saw his face. And then I looked into the wolf's bright red eyes.

"No!" I shrieked as I swiveled and tried to run.

Two iron-strong arms locked around my waist and pulled me up against a marble cold, hard torso and I sobbed. How _stupid_ was I! Karina had sent one of her illusions with Aaron…

"Sweetheart, no need to run away… This'll all be over before you know it," he cooed in my ear, and I felt his cold, gentle hands brush my hair away from my neck. I struggled, but struggling would only be a waste of energy; I would be exerting myself for nothing but dying anyways…

"P-p-please!" I sobbed, my knees weakening. I was just hanging in his arms now. His touch was nothing like Seth's; his arms were not soft and warm. I was so cold against this dead man.

"Shhh…" he whispered against my neck. His chilly breath sent sudden shivers up and down my spine. I was going to die. "Mm… your scar has begun to fade away," he murmured, his lips brushing against my exposed skin. I shivered when his teeth skimmed across my vein.

"S-Stop! P-please-!"

"Please what? Please get this over with? Say something more; something effective…_beg_, Eliza… I want to hear you _beg_ for mercy; or for me to get this over with as fast as possible," Aaron breathed. He was a horrible…horrible creature.

"N-no," I sobbed. He turned me around to face him and I cried out. He looked exactly the same.

Aaron chuckled. "What? Do I look ugly or something?"

No… ugly would be an understatement. He was actually gorgeous; gorgeous like any other vampire. But inside; his soul – if he had one – was the ugliest thing I had ever seen.

"P-please," I sobbed, unable to get the words out. _Please Seth…stay away…stay away; don't get yourself hurt!_ I thought.

"Say something else. You always used to put up a little prissy fight before I fed on you. Now…this?" He looked disgusted with my "poor performance."

"P-please d-d-don't h-hurt him," I stuttered. Aaron frowned for a moment, and then he suddenly smirked and pulled me into his chest. I froze at his ice-cold chest and his strong arms binding me up against him.

"Aww, who? Your little werewolf mate?" he sneered. I still blushed when he said "mate." Seth wasn't my mate….

"H-he's dear t-to me," I explained, mumbling into the stone body.

"Too bad…_anyone_ you've been in touch with is going to die. You bringing your little friends here was unexpected," he snarled in my ear. "Werewolves and vampires, Eliza? Sleazy little" bad word "aren't you?" he growled. I was gasped for air, feeling quite lightheaded. His hold on me was refusing me air.

Aaron loosened his grip slightly.

"Anyways, I wasn't distracted by those little friends of yours. We'll take care of them. We have powers that your werewolf and vampire friends do not," he assumed. I scoffed and he scowled. He grabbed my chin and pulled my face up to his. He had his teeth bared at me, our faces inches away.

"What?" he snapped.

"They have powers," I shot back at him.

He roared angrily, and I was instantaneously shoved to the ground. I winced as I fell against the hard ground. My eyes widened as I watched him coil up in a crouch, and then he sprung forward and I was pinned against the nearest tree behind me in a flash. My head was sore, and I was guessing that he hadn't bothered to make sure I didn't ram my head back against the rough and uneven bark. I winced as my head began throbbing.

"What powers?" he growled in my ear, his lips dangerously close to my throat.

"T-They-!" and I stopped to think. No…they wouldn't like if it I said. Aaron would go and tell the others, trying to trick me into thinking that this set me free – my little confession – but I would know better than that. He would just hunt me down again and I would die along with my friends… and I couldn't let that happen. I chuckled – a low, throaty sound – and smirked. "I don't think I'm going to tell you," I told him smugly.

He roared again, and I screamed in pain as he threw me back into the little clearing, against the rough dirt. Hot tears ran down my cheeks… and then I realized they weren't tears… My hand had been on my forehead from the pain, and as I drew it away, it was covered in blood.

Aaron's breathing was very, very heavy now, especially when he saw the blood on me. I could hear it as he approached slowly, and then when I tried to sit up he shoved me back down to the earth. He was hovering over me now, on his hands and knees, his low breath frightening me. I chewed on my lower lip. If Seth caught us like this right now, he'd probably kill Aaron and then kill me…

My breath caught when Aaron kissed my forehead. But he didn't technically _kiss_ my forehead; he just pressed his lips against the bloody cut and sucked most of it up. I gasped, trying to shove him off but without having him even budge.

"Mm…as sweet as always," he breathed after he pulled back, and his tongue followed the trails of blood that trickled down either sides of my head and then his lips settled on my neck.

"S-stop! P-please… Please don't!" I cried as his lips pressed to my neck.

"My dear, that's why we are here, Eliza," he muttered against my skin. "Don't worry…you won't remember a thing," he breathed.

"'cause I'll be dead!" I shrieked, and he chuckled.

Blinding pain. That's all I felt after that. His teeth bit into me and I let out as loud a scream as I could let out. I felt my life slipping out of me slowly, and it made it worse that all the while Aaron's hands were stroking my upper arms as though it would make it less painful. Ha! Yeah right. It still hurt like hell.

So I was dead? When the weight on my body was suddenly lifted…that meant Aaron was finished, right? That I was officially dead?

Still, I heard noises…violent noises. The crashing and falling of trees, the shrieks of splitting stone and metal, and the growls… all of that which I heard I could not see. My eyes were sealed shut, almost involuntarily. I couldn't see a single thing; I couldn't open my eyes, and I could feel nothing but blinding pain. When something cold touched me I screamed and flailed, and then suddenly I was in heaven…

Two strong, very warm arms were around me. The pain still didn't die down, but at least I knew these familiar arms and the calming musky scent.

"Seth!" I mouthed. I couldn't speak, but I could mouth his name. Hot lips pressed against my mouth and, although I couldn't move the rest of my body, I kissed him back. So maybe I couldn't see this man I was kissing; but I knew – I _knew_ – that it was Seth.

I screamed out now after Seth broke away; the pain was throbbing and stinging and agonizing. I arched my back, but Seth's strong and warm hand pushed my stomach back down.

"SETH!" I shrieked, and I was wrapped up in his arms now.

"C-Carlisle, y-you have to get it out o-of her! S-she's-!" Seth choked over his words. I screamed again.

"The venom is progressing, Seth… very fast. He put a lot into her. Any more and she-!"

"Please, doc! Don't tell me right now! Tell me when she's alright," Seth whimpered, and I loved him so unconditionally right now.

"Seth, the others need you in the field. I'll take care of her for you," Carlisle said.

We both said simultaneously – "NO!"

"Seth. GO! If you want them to get away and come back-!"

"Okay, okay, doc! Just…take care of her…" he sighed and I felt his warmth disappear as new cold hands held me up. The pain was too much. I was numb and in agonizing pain all at the same.

Parted lips pressed against my neck, and for a moment I was afraid this was not Carlisle. Yet the pain suddenly began to subside… gradually…the pain…was…gone…and…I was suddenly…alright…

The lips left my neck and my eyes shot open. Carlisle was there; so was Alice. I shot upright.

"Th-thanks," I gasped, and Carlisle just nodded. I was sobbing now, and I was suddenly in Alice's arms.

"Shh…it's okay now. Aaron's gone…You're alive," she whispered to me. I nodded, curling up in a little ball.

"N-No…n-n-not until S-Seth is here w-with me," I choked.

"He's busy now. But he'll be fine, alright? Won't he, Alice?" Carlisle asked his adopted daughter.

"Yes…he'll be fine…" she assured me.

"Alice-!"

"Shh…let's not speak of it right now... you should be grateful you're alive right now. Be happy that Rosalie has already taken down at least three with Carlisle's and my help, and Emmett's done in about seven with his own bare hands. The wolves helped too. And no one's gotten hurt, on our side at least," Alice told me. I was suspicious, and worried about Seth, but I whimpered.

Alice's head made a little jerk again and she gasped as she had another vision. "Um… Eliza…"

"What? Are they all gone?"

She shrugged her shoulders.

"Not yet. But the Volturi will show up in a moment to finish it off. The werewolves will flee, and Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper will thank the Volturi for coming and explain how it was not them who caused the issue. The Volturi…no!" Alice snarled, and I winced. She apologized and Carlisle sat down beside us, resting a cold hand on my shoulder.

"What is it, Alice?" Carlisle's voice sounded calm, but it had an edgy tone to it too. Like he was anxious or nervous or annoyed or something.

"The Volturi won't believe Emmett when they ask him the story. Felix…that damned" bad word "…he found a vampire named…Vincent-" I winced "trying to run. Felix was too fast for him and brought him back. They questioned him… _in front _of our family, Carlisle. Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper could do nothing. Vincent told Aro about…you…Eliza," Alice turned her head to look at me. Fear flooded my body. Too bad Jasper wasn't here… I felt like throwing up.

"I-Is Vincent a-alive?" I murmured.

Alice shook her head. "They didn't need him after hearing that. We have to go to them-"

I whimpered and froze.

"Why, Alice?"

"…Because they'll come looking for us if we don't come soon. And I'd rather have my entire family with me if anything happens," Alice sighed.

"Let us wait just a little longer. Eliza needs a bit of time to recuperate. He beat her around a very fair amount… I cannot imagine how strong you are, Eliza," Carlisle spoke up, rubbing my shoulder, "To be able to endure a beating from a vampire." He chuckled.

"Carlisle, I need to talk to you for a moment…" Alice whispered, standing. Carlisle did too. Alice took off her jacket, which was surprisingly unscathed, and folded it under my head so that my head would be propped up. She pulled Carlisle over to the side for a moment, and the noise I heard next was like a bunch of hums. Alice and Carlisle were speaking so fast and so low that I couldn't possibly make out a single word they were saying.

When they were finally silent, they walked back over to me.

"How are you feeling, honey?" Alice whispered to me. I gulped.

"Alice, go ahead and tell them we will be right over," Carlisle instructed, and Alice gave a quick nod before she disappeared into thin air.

"C-Carlisle? Can y-you tell how bad I took a b-beating?" I mumbled.

A cold hand pressed against my forehead, and then the hand slid down to my neck. I think Carlisle was checking my pulse. Then his cold hand massaged my back shoulder blades and I winced. He stood from his squatting position and looked me over, and then came back down to a squat beside me. Of course I don't know what this meant.

"Not too much blood was lost, but enough that I should be advising you to a trip to the hospital. Fortunately, I think I have enough equipment at home to take care of you," he said with a chuckle. Carlisle brought his work home with him. In many ways this was true, but I'll not delve into that. "As for how severe the beating you took was… hm… well multiple bruising on your arms and legs, and you'll definitely experience some extra soreness in your back shoulder blades. Your scraped up hands will be an easy clean. Mmm... I checked your forehead as well. No concussion, but you'll need a bandage up there where you were cut. Aaron should have sealed up the cut with his venom, but that careless rat chose not to," he mumbled. I nodded, acknowledging and grateful for his brief diagnostic.

"Eliza, can you sit up?" Carlisle asked me. I nodded, wincing at the pain in my neck and my aching joints.

"Ouch," I mumbled, and the doctor vampire just chuckled.

"Take it easy, Eliza. I think we should go now. How about you grab Alice's jacket and I'll carry you?"

I bit my lower lip and nodded. Doing as he said, we were running within the next minute.


	11. Life Was Cool Why'd Vincent Ruin It!

When the wind stopped blowing by us, I was set back down on my feet. It took me a moment to stand. Eventually, I ended up _not_ standing. How much Aaron fed off of me…I instantly collapsed to my knees. Alice joined by my side, and I gave her back her jacket and allowed her to wrap her arms around my shoulders protectively.

I could smell the burning scent of vampire-parts, something I had smelt only once before and something I absolutely despised. When I collapsed, a pair of cold arms caught me. Where was Seth? I worried even more, now that everyone should be in the clearing and yet he was not. Or if he was here…why wasn't he _here_? …With me?

"I should have brought something to stop the blood, I'm sorry, Eliza. Here," Carlisle was away and then back before I knew it. A folded slab of cloth was suddenly pressed against the wound. "I didn't think about sealing it up with venom. That might have been worse if any got into your system… I'll need to bandage you up at home. But before we do that… someone wants to…speak to you," he murmured.

"N-not Aaron?" I mumbled, looking around.

"No, Eliza. Not Aaron," a calm, unfamiliar voice said. My gaze shot to the vampire whom had spoken. His hair was a jet black and his skin was almost transparent in color. He was tall and slender and very ghostly the way that he moved toward me.

"Wh-who are you?" I breathed. I looked around, desperately, for Seth. He was no where to be seen. Carlisle had also gone away too, which made me suspicious that someone _was_ injured, unlike what Alice had said. Black robes surrounded this one figure, although two were by his side like they were his equals.

I turned to Alice. "Where's Seth?" I mouthed to her. She shrugged her shoulders and looked away.

"I am Aro. You must be Eliza, am I correct?" the ghostly vampire began speaking.

I nodded nervously.

"Ah, yes. Well your friend – Vincent, wasn't it? – told me about you and I needed to talk to you. I wanted to enlighten on you on the rules of the Volturi," he told me calmly, and _every_ wolf growled. Aro held his hand up as a request for silence, and when the rest of his group tensed around the wolves, Sam in his wolf form barked at his pack and the wolves all disappeared. Jacob's pack wasn't anywhere to be seen… Oh Seth…

"We should not have let this go on so long, Eliza. However, that does not mean you can just slip back into your normal life before you were 'activated', as Vincent had explained. You see, we are very strict as to how we deal with those humans that find out about our existence. They can either be changed into one of us or, to put it easily, killed," he explained, and I froze. Alice set a hand on my shoulder and squeezed it gently.

"D-do I have to choose one of those?" I muttered, my hands falling to the ground. My hair drooped on either side of my face, limp, covering my sight of the Volturi around me. Someone inhaled…another one inhaled… It was my scent, maybe? Did I really smell that good…as a human I mean?

"Dear child…" Aro began, and I lifted my head hesitantly. I saw him wrinkle his nose. "You stink of wolf…worse than the others," he admitted and I couldn't help but giggle under my breath. _I hope I do_, I thought. Of course…because Seth… "No matter, if you don't make up your mind, we'll gladly make it up for you. Felix, I'm sure, would love to take care of you himself," he finished, and my eyes widened as Aro gestured to the vampire beside him. The bulky, muscular man reminded me very much of Emmett…although scarier and with blood red eyes that made me cringe. He had a stern look on his face, but when I shivered, he smirked. Emmett growled deeply in his throat, but the sound of stone smacking against stone told me that Rosalie had ordered him to knock it off.

"Wolves… not like the real kind?" another asked. His skin was just as pale but his hair was a very silky, thin white. He looked more menacing than Aro.

"No, Caius. The same as your last visit," Carlisle explained. Why? Did Caius not like werewolves or something? Or…wolves in general?

"Ah… Well, Aro, I don't think it will take much to make up your mind. This girl has known of us too long… who knows whom she has told! She's dangerous. Anyways, one little human won't cost the Cullen family too much," Caius shrugged, and the scream I had was caught in my throat.

Aro nodded. "Hm… yes. Alec, would you mind?" he asked behind him. A young boy, no more than twelve when he was transformed, came out from behind an almost-identical-to-him-girl, and smiled at me. His brows knitted together and I saw a mist come out from behind him. Before I knew it, I felt nothing.

Nothing for a while, and I knew that I was dying. I _was_ dying, wasn't I? I couldn't feel, couldn't hear or smell, I could see, and the scream stayed caught in my throat. Everything was numb.

Then the feeling went away and I gasped, clutching my throat and keeling over. Alice was still by my side, Emmett was now in front of me along with Carlisle. And then, directly in front of me, between Emmett and Carlisle… was Sam Uley. Then a new hand touched my shoulder, and I so hoped it was Seth until I noticed how cold it was. When I looked over, it was Bella. I smiled at her, hugging her tightly with "thanks."

"Who do you think you are?" Caius demanded. He was disappointed they hadn't killed me.

"This one has strong ties to the girl," I heard another dark-haired "transparent"-skinned vampire.

"Yes, Marcus…" Aro murmured. So the third was Marcus…

"I'm Sam Uley. The Alpha of the Quileute pack. And you're the Volturi," he said simply. I admired his courage. I would never be able to stand up to them. Then I worried…what would they do to them?

"We are. Such strong ties to this little girl…. Are you perhaps…her mate?" Aro asked. Sam and I both recoiled, disgusted by the thought.

"No, sir. We're her family. And as part of the Quileute pack, it is our duty to protect La Push and our territory from hostile enemies…._vampires_, like you," Sam snarled.

Aro frowned, holding up his hands in defense.

"Well excuse us then, Sam Uley, Alpha of the Quileute pack. But you must be aware that Eliza has been exposed and on the run from a coven of vampires for over a year now. We have strict rules of the exposure of our kind. No human shall know of our existence. One side of this issue has been taken care of already," Aro gestured to the burning pile of ashes. The fire had nearly been put out now. "As for the other side of the issue, Eliza herself, she must be eliminated. There is no discussing this. Please let us through. Bella, if you would let down your guard," Aro continued, shooting a stern look at Bella. I knew Bella had a shield, but I thought I would have at least felt something when she put it up. How long had it been holding?

Bella shook her head.

"You gave me that other option too, remember Aro?" she said coldly. I shook my head.

"No…I'm not going to be a vampire," I said immediately. When I looked at the Cullens, they seemed a little taken back, but surely they knew I meant no harm. "No offense to you all, but…I'm not ready to be one… I wanna live…" I told them. I intentionally left out the part where I wanted to live because I wanted to marry Seth one day…and have children… I knew vampires couldn't have children… well, girl vampires that was…

"We understand, Eliza," Bella assured me, rubbing my shoulder.

"Then you die. It's that simple," Caius shrugged, and I flinched as he took a step forward. Sam Uley held his arms out wide, as though they could block the vampires with that simple move.

"No. Wait. Isn't there any way we can prove that Eliza can live with us and not reveal our secret? It's been two months already, and she hasn't told a single soul. About vampires or these werewolf friends of ours," Carlisle stepped in. I looked at him gratefully, and he smiled quickly back down at me.

"Two months? Carlisle, why is it that you have held this from us for so long?" Aro sounded astonished. He looked at me and then back at Carlisle as he considered his answer. Aro did this little circuit a couple times before he frowned. "Is she in the same situation as Bella once was? Is there a vampire in your family who she loves? I thought all of your children had mates already, Carlisle?"

Carlisle nodded his head. "Not a vampire. A boy whom is nearly a son to me; we are so close… Or…grandson, should I say?" he chuckled. Of course… because Edward was his son and Renesmee was his granddaughter; and because Jacob imprinted on Renesmee, sooner or later they would end up married when Renesmee was older, thus making Jacob his potential grandson; Jacob and Seth were both Quileute boys, and because they were in the same pack, they are considered brothers, and I guess that ended up with the conclusion that Seth was like a grandson… or…something once or twice removed? Whatever. They were close. That was the point.

"If he is not a vampire…is he still your adopted grandson or such? What is the relationship between the two of you?" Aro questioned.

"None in blood. To make this conversation and interrogation speed up a bit… this boy I am speaking of is a werewolf," Carlisle admitted bluntly.

The look of repulsion was disturbing on Aro's face; as well as Marcus's and Caius's.

"My wife is this boy's second cousin. He is related by law to me as well," Sam Uley explained.

There was silence.

Please…please…don't let them hurt Seth… and please..._please_… let me stay with Seth.

"So… this boy is like a grandson to you, Carlisle…although he is a werewolf?" Aro inquired. Carlisle nodded. His face was still so calm. Perhaps it was Jasper's doing, or perhaps Carlisle was naturally just like this? I wondered what he looked like when he was fighting my Hunters. Was he smiling or was he frowning a vicious-vampire look that I had never before seen on Carlisle Cullen's face?

"And… To you, Sam Uley, this boy is your second-cousin-in-law?" Aro added. Sam Uley nodded now. Aro sighed, shaking his head.

"These ties mean nothing. The girl is not related to you, Carlisle. Just because she is a part of your family in your eyes, unless she is a vampire, she has the choice to die, or become one," Caius pointed out angrily. His patience was thinning.

"What if we just make her forget?" another familiar voice said. I looked over my shoulder and there was Edward, with Renesmee in his arms. Of course, Renesmee looked like nearly a seven year old, but he still held her like she was the most delicate infant in the world (scratching the fact that she could take down full grown elk while hunting with her werewolf best friend).

My eyes widened, and everyone was looking at Edward now. There was something up.

"Ah, Edward Cullen! How fair you? Now what is this you speak of? 'Make her forget'? Enlighten us, please," Aro requested. Edward nodded shortly, and Renesmee gave a short wave to me. I smiled back at her.

"As you all must know…Bella has the incredible gift to render some of your gifts, as well as ours, absolutely ineffective. My gift, to read minds, is also proven inefficient against her incredible ability. What if…" he trailed off for a moment to look at me with an apologetic stare. I gulped. Edward looked back at the expecting Volturi. "What if we taught Bella a new use for her gift? Perhaps… blocking memories _within_ a person…making them seem as if that one event never happened to them?"

The meadow was silent. But of course, it was silent to my ears. All the vampires could probably hear my erratic heartbeat as I finally soaked in the meaning of Edward's suggestion.

Aro had a knowledgeable scowl on his face and he nodded his head once to indicate that he understood what Edward meant.

"You mean erasing her mind?"

Edward nodded slowly, without even looking at me this time for my consent.

Bella tried to conceal a gasp, but it still came out all the same.

"Edward, I don't know if I can! Think of how far I would have to go back in Eliza's memory? How old had she been since she figured out what vampires were?" Bella hissed harshly at Edward, and she looked to me for clarification.

"Since… I was five… my mom was always the main target. She gave me to my father for the first few years of my life… but we crossed paths when another group of the Hunters suddenly decided to target my father… Yeah… I was five," I explained. Bella's eyes widened in horror and she snapped her gaze back to Edward.

"Edward! I'd be erasing her entire life! Everything! Her experience of going to school, living with her parents, of-"

"Ever meeting Seth," I choked out, finishing her terrifying conclusion. I felt like curling up in a ball and crying. I nearly did this.

"Don't be sad, Eliza," Jasper whispered to me. What was the point of whispering? Vampires had advanced hearing; they could hear everything that we said crystal clear – perfectly, like it was as loud as normal speech would be. My lower lip became subject to my grazing teeth.

"Edward you know I can't do that! I can't do that to Eliza! I can't do that to _Seth_ either!" Bella cried out, no longer caring whether her voice was a whisper or not. I looked at Edward, pleading. He didn't look at me. He just shook his head and sighed.

"You must. If it allows Eliza to live…" he murmured.

"I very wholeheartedly agree. She may live. She will have no memory of how she got here, who she is; she will not remember a single thing. She will be like, ah, what's the word. Oh! Like your little _pet_. You can teach her a life without werewolves and vampires, well, at least vampires. I care nothing of her knowledge of those beasts. But if you can manage erasing all of her knowledge, then I have no objection with this," Aro finished his declaration with a very "finished" look on his face. He had made up his mind.

"I disagree! How do we know Mrs. Cullen can handle such a thing? How do we know she has the ability to block memories _within_ a person?" Caius argued. I hated that man.

"We have our own tests, do we not? Jasper, you can feel the emotions Eliza would be feeling; scared and confused, obviously, if this worked. And she could not fake it. Aro, your ability allows you to see _everything_ in one's mind, you will immediately be able to tell if she is lying or not," Edward explained. It was like he had everything planned out in his mind.

Caius snorted, but Aro and Marcus looked at us as though they were actually considering this. I couldn't blame them. Edward knew how to act…or…or maybe they weren't acting! Maybe they were seriously going to erase my mind! Oh…oh god… Seth…!

"…We could…give it a try," Aro shrugged. My eyes widened when Bella sighed and shifted awkwardly.

"Well, I guess I could give it a try," Bella agreed.

I gasped.

"Bella!"

"Eliza, you don't have much of a choice. Would you like to die? Would you like to become a vampire? The option is no longer yours to choose. Trust me, it'll all work out perfectly," Bella assured me, hugging me tightly.

We were in silence for a moment.

"…Bella?... Bella, before you try, I need to know… will Seth still love me…? Love me the way he does now?" I whimpered.

Bella sighed.

"There are many stages to what has happened to Seth involving you and him," she began, obviously not wanting to mention the word "imprint" around the Volturi for probably confidential werewolf reasons. "Seth will be what ever you need him to be at the time. Whether it is a babysitter, a brother, a protector, a boyfriend, or a lover. You won't know him anymore, Eliza. Chances are, you will need a brother; a protector. Nothing more until you feel as though it will be time to escalate your relationship. But to answer your original question, _yes_, Eliza. Seth will _always_ love you," Bella explained. I felt tears rolling down my cheeks.

No more burying my face in his warm shoulder or his furry hide as I close my eyes; no more snuggling up against him as I drift into sleep; no more kisses that shower me with the love and compassion we hold for each other at the moment… It'll hurt Seth… but I'll be with him. At least I'll be with him…

"You ready to try, Eliza? Bella, love?" Edward interrupted my nightmarish thoughts. I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. So did Bella.

"I don't know what this will feel like, Eliza, so brace yourself, alright? I'm going to try and block out the use of the left side of your brain. It might completely wipe out your memory, considering I can't pinpoint a certain time in your life… but if it works… know right now that we'll always love you and so will Seth," she said fiercely.

"I wish Seth was here right now," I sniffed.

Alice's cold hand was suddenly on my shoulder.

"He wishes he could be here too," she murmured to me.

"Then where is-?"

"Are you ready, Eliza?" Bella interrupted us. They all knew something I didn't. Then again, in the next few seconds, I would probably not even know who these kind people were around me…I wouldn't know their names…I wouldn't know that they were…my family.

I nodded numbly, afraid.

Then I felt something constrict inside my head as Bella closed her eyes and concentrated.

There was blackness.

And then I opened my eyes to the strangers around me.


	12. Eliza Doesn't Remember: By Nessie Cullen

_**Renesmee**_

I didn't understand what Mom did to Eliza, at first. Daddy was still holding me in his arms, rocking me back and forth. I placed my palm against my Dad's cheek and he leaned into my touch as he saw what I was thinking of. I was thinking of the grass. I wanted to be set down. But of course, speaking was boring. I preferred to show the people around me what I wanted. They thought this was "cute." That was alright with me.

"Alright, but be careful," Daddy murmured, and he set me down carefully. The ground was soft under my socks. I smiled as I stared at Eliza and tiptoed over to her. When she saw me reaching out to her with a concerned look on my face, she began trembling. I'd never seen Eliza like this before.

Eliza began whimpering and scooting away, only to run into Aunt Alice. Now she screamed, and I staggered a few steps back. Daddy scooped me back in his arms again, like he thought I was afraid of Eliza. I frowned, pressing my palm firmly to my dad's cheek. He was taken back I think, by the confusion and frustration I felt right now. I thought about Eliza's face, scared and confused, and I felt frustrated and sad that Dad had taken me away from her so quickly.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. Eliza's just a little confused at the moment," Daddy whispered to me. I frowned, nodding once to tell him I understood but I was still upset.

I looked at Aro, Caius, and Marcus. I knew them only a little bit because of their last visit. I'm pretty sure they wanted to take me away somewhere… but Mommy and Daddy wouldn't let them. They were my heroes. So was Jacob…which made me think… where was he right now?

I frowned even bigger and touched Daddy's face again. The scowl he returned upset me and I pouted.

"He's not here right now, sweetie. He's with Seth," Daddy explained. I sighed disappointedly. Jacob was so fun to play with. He was my best friend. And he didn't even mind when I bit him. 

"Jasper… how is she feeling?" Aro said in that funny voice he had. I didn't like his voice compared to Mommy's, or Daddy's, or Jacob's.

Uncle Jazz was frowning.

"She's…so confused… so scared… someone try and talk to her," Uncle Jazz said.

Auntie Alice put a hand on Eliza's shoulder and Eliza screamed. I winced. She had a really loud voice.

"Eliza… Eliza, do you know who we are?" Auntie Alice asked Eliza calmly. I frowned and touched Daddy's face again when Eliza shook her head; I showed him a memory I had of Eliza three days ago when she and I were playing, and then replayed Eliza shaking her head after Auntie Alice asked her the question.

"Because Eliza can't remember anything right now, honey," Daddy murmured to me. His voice was really, really low, like he didn't want anyone else to hear it. But I knew they could because I could. We all had great hearing in the family. I frowned and touched his face, asking him if Eliza would remember everything later today.

Daddy frowned and said nothing, looking back at Aro.

"What other proof do you need, Aro? She clearly is frightened for her life. Look. Alice has to hold her down and cover her mouth to stop her from screaming," Daddy snapped. I hated it when he got snappy, especially at Jacob. Daddy got snappy at Jacob A LOT.

Aro – the one with the funny voice, in case you forgot – frowned. "You're not making good impressions. Alice, keep her still. I want to see if Bella's gift really did work, or if you are all just very precise actors," Aro frowned. I frowned too, but because of the words Aro said and not what he was actually _saying_.

I repeated the phrase "precise actors" in my mind and in Daddy's too. "He thinks Eliza is pretending not to remember," Daddy explained. I shot a glare at Aro. He wasn't just about to get off with calling my friend a liar!

Auntie Alice held screaming-and-forgetful-Eliza down and Aro approached the two of them. He set his fingertips down on her forehead and when she screamed, he inhaled a quick gasp. I replayed his actions to Daddy.

"Aro has a gift of reading people's minds," Daddy explained. I frowned, and showed Daddy his own face. They could both do this, right? Then why did Aro have to get really close to the person whose mind he was reading so that he could? Daddy could stand on the other side of the room from a person and still read their mind. Except for Mommy. Mommy was different; he couldn't read Mommy's mind unless she let him. "No, sweetie. Aro's gift is a little more special than mine. He has to touch the person whose mind he reads so that his gift with effectively work," he explained. I understood half of what he said and I frowned again…_he_ had a special gift. _I_ had an even more special gift, right? Daddy chuckled. "Yes of course you do. His gift is not nearly as special and wonderful as yours," Daddy told me and I smiled with pride.

I looked back at Aro and Eliza and Auntie Alice. Aro wasn't touching Eliza anymore. He was looking back at Caius and Marcus. Then he looked at Grandpa Carlisle.

"She has no thoughts that relate to us or our…_kind_," Aro said, whispering the last word so low that I even strained to hear it. "Bella's gift has worked. Do with her what you want now, Cullen family. We shall leave now," Aro said simply. They said a few goodbyes that I didn't care about. I had my cheek rested on Daddy's shoulder. I was really tired for some reason.

"Sweetie, say bye to Aro and the others," Daddy encouraged. I frowned at him, my hand almost slapping his cheek as I pressed it against his face. I showed him a picture of Aro's blood red eyes and how scary he looked with him; and how his actions led to Eliza not remembering anything…and then Eliza screaming. I frowned when Daddy sighed. "I understand," he mumbled and I smiled triumphantly now, resting my head back on his shoulder and closing my eyes.

Unfortunately the voices didn't stop. They didn't let me fall asleep. I frowned although I kept my eyes closed.

"Edward, now what? We can't leave her like this!" Mommy hissed at him. They didn't usually talk to each other like this. I wanted to touch Daddy's face and ask him what was wrong, but I didn't. Daddy could hear my thoughts anyways, so if he thought it was important enough to ask, then he'd just answer my thoughts. It got kind of annoying but I got used to it.

"Wait for the Volturi to completely leave the area," Daddy said in a really low voice. "Let's take her back to the house," he suggested.

"…but Seth is there!" Mommy cried out. I frowned. Something _definitely_ wasn't right. Eliza couldn't have forgotten Seth, could she? No…because she and Seth were always together. Daddy told me they loved each other. I lifted my head from his shoulder, and this surprised him a bit. But it didn't bother me as much as the news I just heard. I pressed my palm against his face and remembered the last time I saw Eliza and Seth smooching. Ugh. It was kind of gross sometimes. They smooched even more than Mommy and Daddy did I think…

"It's complicated, honey. We'll explain it when we get back to the house," Daddy promised me. I sighed and put my cheek back against his broad shoulder.

"What is she asking?" Mommy asked Daddy.

"Renesmee wants to know if Eliza has completely forgotten about Seth. She's confused because, as far as she knows, Eliza and Seth were in love," Daddy told Mommy. "As far as she knows"? What's that supposed to mean? I didn't bother asking Daddy this now. I'd get my answers sooner or later.

"We'll take Eliza home then… Edward, I hope you have some kind of plan. You aren't really planning on leaving Eliza like this, are you? You have some way of reversing the effects of the…the…the _treachery_ I just committed, don't you?" Mommy was angry. Clearly she was.

Daddy sighed. "Yes, Bella, love, I do. Don't worry. Let's just get Renesmee back home and Eliza too," he sighed.

I closed my eyes and tucked my face in Daddy's shoulder. This was when he would start running, I guessed.

I guessed correctly.

When I opened my little eyes a few minutes later, we were back in the house. I loved how fast our family could travel. Eliza was actually quiet. She was still scared, 'cause I saw that in her eyes. She was hugging herself and I frowned. Poor Eliza… I hoped that she remembered soon.

"Eliza!"

Seth's voice made me jump. He was so happy to see her, but when he threw his arms around her she screamed and squirmed away. His eyes got really big out of surprise as she backed far away from him. Auntie Alice had to block the doors so Eliza wouldn't run out, I guess.

"Wh-who a-a-are you f-freaks?" she said. I frowned. We weren't freaks… At least Eliza remembered to speak, though. She hadn't done anything but cry and scream since she first stopping remembering things.

I heard Seth's heartbeat speed up and stutter and falter for a moment before he turned to Grandpa Carlisle.

"What's happened to her? What is she talking about?" he asked in a really loud voice. I hated when people used the loud voice. We could hear them perfectly fine already!

"Seth… calm down…you're scaring her," Mommy said.

Seth growled… he was like Jacob. He could growl like Jacob because they could both turn into wolves.

"Why? What did I do? What happened? .?" he said. I watched his jaw clench and then unclench and clench and unclench over and over again.

"They did nothing… Oh, Seth, I'm so sorry! I-I had to! I-I-it was the only way to save her life!" Mommy cried out. I didn't like it when Mommy cried invisible tears.

"WHAT HAPPENED?" Seth's voice got really loud and I placed my palms over my ears in case he was going to yell again. Daddy seemed amused with my reaction, but there was nothing funny about it. Everyone was just being too loud today.

"Seth, kid, calm down. Surely they've got an explanation if you're willing to listen," Jacob said. I beamed when I saw Jacob, and I reached out to him. He caught my movements in the corner of his eye and turned to me, grinning. He was in front of me before I could blink, holding his arms out. Daddy reluctantly gave me to Jacob and Jacob held me now.

"I want…to know…why my Eliza…is afraid of me," Seth was choking over his words. I felt so bad for him. The moment the first lonely tear fell down his cheek, Seth fell to his knees. I placed my palm on Jacob's cheek and replayed what I had just seen.

"Seth's just a little emotional right now, Nessie. No need to worry. C'mon, let's go hang out with Blondie," Jacob grinned. He liked to call Auntie Rosalie "Blondie" for some reason. I didn't mind because I didn't get it. Auntie Rosalie's hair was a light _golden_. I frowned because I didn't want to leave. I shook my head and mouthed a "no."

Jacob frowned, but shrugged his shoulders and sighed.

"Seth… Eliza's in a lot of pain right now and-"

"Why? Why is she in pain? What happened?" Seth interrupted Grandpa Carlisle. I thought it was quite rude when people interrupted other people.

"Do you mind if we explain after figuring out how to make the pain go away? Or should Jacob just tell you to step outside for a moment while we make Eliza better?" Grandpa Carlisle asked.

Seth was shaking. "No. I want to be here with her." His tone was snappy. Like Daddy's snappy when he talks to Jacob sometimes.

"Kid, step outside for a moment. We'll call you back in when it's alright," Jacob said. Seth's shoulders slumped, and he dashed outside. I smiled. Jacob was Boss. Seth knew who the boss was, and it wasn't him. Jacob was the Boss.

Grandpa Carlisle walked over to Eliza, who was sitting on the couch; all curled up.

"Eliza? Do you feel bad right now?" Daddy asked her. She frowned.

"N-no…b-but I-I wanna know wh-who y-you a-are and…who…I-I am…" she murmured.

"You're Eliza Young. That boy that just hugged you…you two are dating," Daddy said. He spoke slowly like Eliza was stupid or something. Eliza wasn't stupid, but Daddy knew best.

"Wh-? I-I don't know…. I-I don't remember…a-anything…help me…_please,_" she whispered.

I frowned. _But you're safe, Eliza! You're safe!_ I kept on thinking.

Grandpa Carlisle nodded.

"We'll help you. You just need to calm down right now. Can you do that? Bella here, she's your friend and my daughter…she'll help you remember." Grandpa Carlisle talked to Eliza slowly too, like he too thought she was stupid.

Eliza chewed on her lower lip and nodded carefully.

Mommy walked over and sat beside Eliza. Eliza flinched when Mommy rested a hand on her shoulder. Mommy looked up at Daddy.

"Edward…what now?"

Daddy frowned.

"You reverse what you did. Un-block her mind, to put it simply," he shrugged. Mommy's eyes got big like Seth's had.

"I can do that? How?... I-I can't even comprehend how I managed that simple little trick just now! Wh-what if I can't? What if Eliza is stuck like this forever?" Mommy cried out.

"It'll work," Auntie Alice chimed in. Never doubt what Auntie Alice says will happen because Auntie Alice can see the future.

Mommy looked at Auntie Alice. "Are you completely sure?"

Auntie Alice nodded. "Yes… I had a vision that I showed Edward… we planned this whole thing out. Eliza's memory will be restored the moment you unbind the left side of her brain with your shield," Auntie Alice said. I didn't get it, so I just listened and let Jacob bounce me on his hip like he did a few months ago when I was a baby. I grew fast.

"O-okay…" Mommy whispered, and she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply and carefully touched the sides of Eliza's head. Eliza flinched and whimpered, but she didn't protest. Maybe it was Uncle Jazz's doing. He had a cool gift too; he could feel and change people's feelings.

Eliza suddenly gasped and jerked away, out of Mommy's hands.


	13. Some People Do Have Happy Endings

Page | 6

_**Eliza Young**_

These strange people were no longer strange to me. _Every_ single memory I had came flooding back. _Everything_ to the point where I was sitting here in front of… my family. I looked over at each face and smiled brightly. Jacob…and Renesmee… and Bella…And Edward… and Carlisle and Esme… and Emmett and Rosalie…and Alice and Jasper! Oh! I knew them all!

Edward chuckled and I just smiled and threw myself into Bella's arms.

"Thank you…thank you so, so much," I mumbled.

"Don't thank me. Thank Edward and Alice," Bella grinned. Always so modest. I smiled and thanked Edward, and then tried to tackle Alice in a hug. Of course she didn't budge, but if her arms didn't fly around my shoulders I would have ricocheted right back on to the couch.

"Thank you so much," I murmured to all of them. "I love you all so much," I whimpered, still hugging Alice.

"We love you too, Eliza," Alice assured me.

Love… I had a loving family… and Seth! I pulled away from the hug.

"Seth!" I gasped. All heads turned to the front door as Seth came bounding back in. Bella was quick enough to leap from the couch before Seth's arms were around me and he had thrown us on to the wide couch. I think the entire house shook. A few people chuckled at his enthusiasm. I didn't, however. I wrapped my arms around him and welcomed his lips when he offered them.

"I'm so…so…_so_ sorry, Seth! I-I didn't mean to hurt you!" I cried into his shoulder as his lips showered me with kisses.

"I was so scared for a minute, Ellie!" he whimpered. My heart stopped. _Ellie_?

What? Was this some name-flub or something? Seriously?

Edward chuckled.

"_Ellie_?" I said aloud.

Seth pulled his lips from my jaw and blushed.

"Not a good nickname?" he asked, always eventually being the gentleman.

I thought it over a moment.

"Nah, I guess it's cool. It's less syllables than 'Eliza' so…cool," I shrugged and his lips found mind again.

"I love you so, _so_ much, Ellie," he whispered into my lips.

"Seth…" Carlisle suddenly interrupted us with his warning tone. Seth pulled away and was blushing beet red, and so was I. But what was so bad that even Carlisle – the always so kind and wonderful Carlisle – was warning us to back off and that P-D-A was not okay…?

"Kid, take it easy, okay?" Jacob murmured. Now I was _seriously_ embarrassed. Edward chuckled as he opened his arms when Renesmee wanted to be held by him again. I got up off the couch, after squirming out from underneath Seth's strong arms, and gave a little kiss on the forehead to Renesmee. She pressed a hand against my cheek while she smiled. I heard my new nickname over and over again. When she pulled her hand away, she was still smiling.

"You like it too? Aw, thanks!" I giggled.

It was surprising. Even after such a long day, with my near death experiences and my memory loss and everything… I was giggling.

There was silence for a moment. Silence that I didn't prefer that much. I blushed when Seth came up from behind and wrapped his shoulders around my shoulders, pinning me back against him.

Alice suddenly gasped, leaping to her feet.

"We should celebrate!" she exclaimed.

"You mean, you saw us celebrating and you want us to get started as soon as possible?" Edward chuckled. Alice looked a little embarrassed when she nodded sheepishly. We all laughed now.

"C'mon, let's have some fun! We kicked some bad vampire butt and we tricked the Volturi!" Emmett exclaimed, seconding Alice's suggestion.

"Don't be so loud, Em," Rosalie hissed at him. Spoil-sport…

"_Relax_, Rose! So Alice, what d'you see us doing?" Emmett asked after throwing his muscular arm around Rosalie's shoulders.

"Hmm… I see us playing baseball in about twenty minutes! Race ya!" Alice squealed as she took off. Jasper was quick to follow.

Obviously this meant there was a storm coming, since the Cullens only played baseball – or their revised version, which I liked to call "vampire baseball" – during thunderstorms.

A couple people laughed with excitement.

Seth's arms left me and I was a little dismayed. But he was quick to pull Carlisle over to the side from their preparations to go play baseball and whisper very low so that I couldn't hear. I blushed when Seth glanced over and winked at me once, and then looked away again, the frown returning.

Eventually, Carlisle just sighed and nodded his head. I saw him mouth the words, "Be careful," to Seth, but thought nothing of it.

"Eliza! Look at Jake and Nessie!" Seth suddenly exclaimed, and I turned immediately and saw Nessie balancing on her hand…on the top of Jacob's head. I giggled in awe and amusement as Renesmee leapt down into Jacob's open arms. I didn't have the chance to look back to Seth and Carlisle, because soon enough, Seth's arms were wrapping around my waist from behind. His breath tickled my ear and I pleasurably inhaled Seth's familiar musky, intoxicating scent.

His hand slid down to mine and grasped it carefully; taking a step and making me do the same.

The house was suddenly empty except for us.

Seth abruptly threw me on to his back and before I knew it, we were up the stairs and he was closing the door behind us. We were in my makeshift room.

"What's up? Shouldn't we be going? We don't want to miss the celebration," I smiled. Seth didn't return the smile. He had a very intense stare. I frowned suspiciously, folding my arms across my chest. Seth walked up to me - his breathing just slightly heavy - and un-folded my arms. Instead, he wrapped them around his neck and his own clamped around my waist.

Seth's lips nibbled on a tender spot just below my ear, where the skin met the very top of my jaw. I stifled a moan by biting my lower lip. His warm breath against my skin…

"I thought we'd have our own little celebration…if that's alright with you?" he breathed against my neck. I just nodded and he pressed his lips against mine passionately.

I woke up a little later during the night. The television was on downstairs, but it was just high enough so that I could hear the speech. The Cullens were home. Part of me wanted to go downstairs and ask them how the game was, and part of me wanted to wake up Seth so that we could exert ourselves once again. Seth was lying on top of me, but surprisingly his weight had no effect on me. I began rubbing his back, trying to remember the feeling of how it went. It was…to put it simply…wonderful. A little uncomfortable at first, but once we got used to it we were both glad the thunder's volume mastered over ours.

I sighed, and regretted it because Seth began stirring and woke with a little groan, supporting his upper body weight on his forearms, which he propped up on either sides of my waist.

He kissed me softly.

"Wow…we fell asleep?" he chuckled sleepily.

I smiled.

Seth grinned back at me and kissed me again.

"Hey baby," he murmured to me. My eyes had been on the ceiling, but now they were on him. He nuzzled my hair. "What're you thinking about, Ellie?" he sighed into my hair. I continued rubbing his bare back.

I shrugged my shoulders.

"Just…thinkin'," I replied coolly. Seth chuckled, kissing my hair, my shoulder, my neck, and then finally my lips again.

"Really?" he mumbled into my hair. I smiled, nodding.

"Yeah… I was just thinking about how…" I trailed off for a moment, recapping today's events.

"What?"

"I had an interesting day."


End file.
